PRIME MINISTER

Unemployment: Young People

Alison McGovern: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the terms of reference and scope of Sir Jeremy Heywood's inquiry into youth unemployment; and when he expects this inquiry to report.

David Cameron: The Cabinet Office are currently leading a comprehensive Government review of all policies, funding and provision for 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training. The objective is to identify opportunities to improve labour market outcomes for 16 to 24-year-olds who do not progress to university.
	The review team will involve relevant Ministers from across Government and report their findings to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the autumn.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister which Minister has lead responsibility for the regulation and operation of drones in civil airspace. [R]

David Cameron: The Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), has lead responsibility for these matters.

WALES

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Stephen Crabb: Nil. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) deals with the Carbon Offsetting Framework on behalf of the Wales Office. The Wales Office element of the MOJ's carbon credits for 2011-12 was 0.02% of £389.64.

Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with officials and Ministers in the Welsh Government in the last 12 months on the Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011.

David Jones: This Measure was sponsored by an Assembly Member and as such I have corresponded with Ann Jones AM about this matter.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Stephen Crabb: In the Wales Office, (a) 100% of disabled staff received an effective rating, and (b) 78% of all other staff received an effective rating and 22% received an 'outstanding' rating.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Stephen Crabb: None.

SCOTLAND

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Alistair Carmichael: The Scotland Office had no spend on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in 2012-13.

Energy

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the largest six energy providers in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Carmichael: I intend to meet key energy providers and stakeholders in Scotland in the very near future.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Alistair Carmichael: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join the Office do so on an assignment, secondment or loan arrangement from other government bodies, but principally from the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice. Both the Scottish Government and Ministry of Justice have operated voluntary early departure schemes. The number of staff leaving under these schemes in each year is:
	
		
			  Number 
			 (a) 2010-11 0 
			 (b) 2011-12 8 
			 (c) 2012-13 0 
		
	
	No information is held by the Scotland Office on payments made to these staff in lieu of notice.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the Government's review of the fourth Carbon Budget to be completed.

Gregory Barker: Government will review progress towards the EU emissions goal in early 2014, and as appropriate, revise up our budget to align it with the actual EU trajectory.

Carbon Emissions: Fracking

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the carbon footprint produced by shale gas.

Gregory Barker: On 9 September 2013, Professor David J C MacKay FRS, and Dr Timothy J Stone CBE, published a report(1) titled “Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Shale Gas Extraction and Use”. The report, requested by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), presents available evidence on the potential greenhouse gas emissions from production of shale gas in the UK, and the compatibility of future production and use of shale gas in the UK with climate change targets.
	(1 )downloaded on 9 October 2013:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/potential-greenhouse-gas-emissions-associated-with-shale-gas-production-and-use

Electricity: Prices

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the average cost to domestic electricity customers in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Oxfordshire and (c) Surrey who consumed 3.300 kWh of electricity in each of the last three years.

Gregory Barker: The average cost to domestic electricity customers in the last three years is shown in the table. The county of Greater Manchester is within the North West Public Electricity Supply (PES) region. However, the counties of Oxfordshire and Surrey each have postcodes in various PES regions, and as such costs vary across the counties. Oxfordshire is covered by East Midlands, Midlands and Southern PES regions while Surrey is spread across London, South East and Southern PES regions.
	
		
			 Average annual domestic electricity bill 
			   £ 
			 Region PES Region 2010 2011 2012 
			 Greater Manchester North West 398 452 478 
			      
			 Oxfordshire East Midlands 403 447 468 
			  Midlands 409 449 475 
			  Southern 424 445 470 
			      
			 Surrey London 425 452 475 
			  South East 408 438 464 
			  Southern 424 445 470 
		
	
	This data is taken from Table 2.2.3 of DECC's publication Quarterly Energy Prices (QEP), assuming an annual electricity consumption of 3,300 kWh. Annual bill estimates for 2013 will be published in December's edition of QEP on 19 December 2013.

Energy

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the generating capacity in mega watt hours of (a) nuclear, (b) gas, (c) coal and (d) oil fuelled plant has been in each year since 2010-11.

Michael Fallon: Table 5.7 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics publishes the generating capacity of the UK power stations by fuel type. The figures for the last three years are summarised in the following table and relate to major power producers(1).
	
		
			 MW 
			  End of December 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Coal fired 23,085 23,072 23,072 
			 Oil fired 3,638 3,638 2,338 
			 Other non-renewable thermal(2) 7,895 6,759 4,764 
			 Combined cycle gas turbine stations 31,724 30,183 33,113 
			 Nuclear stations 10,865 10,663 9,946 
			 (1) Only includes figures for major power producers since the coal/oil/other non-renewable thermal split is not available for other generating companies. (2) Includes mixed/dual fired, gas turbines and oil engines. Source: Table 5.7, Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2013, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes-2013-printed-version-excluding-cover-pages

Energy Company Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate of the cost to consumers of the Energy Company Obligation is; and how that figure compares to his Department's original estimate.

Gregory Barker: In the impact assessment of June 2012 DECC published an estimated range of costs for ECO, with a central scenario of around £1.3 billion per annum on average. Although, as the IA explained, there are a large number of variables and uncertainties relating to this figure, we have seen no evidence to date that would lead us to change this estimate. For example, over £250 million of ECO compliance has now been traded on the brokerage platform with prices in line with the £1.3 billion estimate. The ECO companies also report on their costs of delivery to Ofgem and initial indications are again broadly consistent with our original cost estimates.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Manufacturing Industries

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the Cross Sectoral Correction Factor on the competitiveness of UK manufacturing sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 62W.

Insulation: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many homes in Wrexham constituency have received insulation under his Department's energy efficiency programmes in each of the last three years.

Gregory Barker: The Energy Savings Trust (EST) publishes reports on cavity wall insulation and professionally installed loft insulation delivered through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) as recorded in the Homes Energy Efficiency Database. The following table shows the number of installations of cavity wall and loft insulation under CERT in each of the last three years for the Wrexham constituency, as published by EST. The CERT year runs from the 1 April to 31 March, the final year of CERT runs from 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012.
	
		
			 Table 1: Cavity wall and loft insulation delivered under CERT, Wrexham constituency 
			  Cavity wall insulation Loft insulation 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 513 512 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 643 785 
			 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012 693 955 
		
	
	In January 2013 the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes were launched to replace previous government schemes. In the first six months of 2013, 79 measures have been delivered under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) in the Wrexham constituency, and seven cashback vouchers have been paid.

Natural Gas: Pipelines

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been invested in extra pipeline capacity to bring gas from non-UK resources in each year since 2010-11.

Michael Fallon: The UK is well provided with pipeline capacity to bring gas from non-UK resources. The UK has import deliverability of c.100 bcm/y through pipelines from non-UK resources, and in addition the UK also has significant LNG import capacity (c.53 bcm/y). To place this in context, total annual consumption of gas in 2012 was 78.3 bcm.
	Gas pipeline developments and the supply of gas are commercial activities, and so the amount and source of investment is a matter for the companies concerned.

Natural Gas: Storage

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his plans are on increasing national gas-storage facilities.

Michael Fallon: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), on 4 September 2013, Official Report, columns 21-22WS:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130904/wmstext/130904m0001.htm
	We have analysed interventions in the gas market to establish whether they might improve our gas security cost-effectively, and based on this we see no case for a further taxpayer-funded intervention in the gas market to increase storage. We have seen and continue to see new storage come forward from the market without our intervention. Two new storage facilities have recently been built, and two more are under construction. Once these facilities are complete, the capability of UK storage facilities to meet peak demand will have doubled since 2000.

Natural Gas: Storage

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been invested in extra gas storage capacity in the UK in each year since 2010-11.

Michael Fallon: We have seen and continue to see new storage come forward from the market. Two new storage facilities have recently been built; Holford in Cheshire was completed February 2013 and Aldbrough in Yorkshire completed November 2012. Two more are under construction. Once these facilities are complete, the capability of UK storage facilities to meet peak demand will have doubled since 2000.
	Gas storage developments are commercial activities. The amount and source of investment is a matter for the companies concerned.

Oil: Exploration

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Exchequer received in income from petroleum exploration and development licenses on land in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Michael Fallon: Income received by the Exchequer from onshore (land) petroleum exploration and development licenses (PEDL) in the years specified is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Income (£ million) 
			 2009-10 2.3 
			 2010-11 2.6 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 2.4

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created in October 2008, to bring together energy and climate change mitigation policy.
	DECC has never declared a redundancy situation in the department and as such no staff have been made redundant during any of the stated financial years.

Renewable Energy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of when offshore wind will reach grid parity;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of when solar PV will reach grid parity;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of when onshore wind will reach grid parity.

Gregory Barker: The Department has a strong focus on reducing the cost of renewable technologies.
	Looking forward, DECC publishes levelised cost estimates of various generation technologies on the DECC website. The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total cost of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant’s lifetime (per megawatt-hour). The latest published figures are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decc-electricity-generation-costs-2013
	As you can see from the figures in this report, the levelised cost of onshore wind, offshore wind and solar PV are expected to fall over time. This is reflected in the proposed strike prices for such technologies in the draft EMR delivery plan, which shows costs falling for all technologies over the coming years.
	It is hard to estimate with certainty when grid parity will occur because of, for example, uncertainty on future electricity prices and different costs of different size and types of projects.
	Taking account of those uncertainties, we might expect some projects within these technologies to reach parity with wholesale electricity prices in the latter half of this decade or 2020s, depending on the electricity cost price scenario used and the speed of cost reductions. Please note that for low-carbon generation grid parity does not automatically mean investments will occur as projects remain exposed to the risk of low wholesale prices and investors are unlikely to invest on the expectation that prices remain high enough.

Renewable Energy

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cross-lifetime consumer end cost is for each mode of renewable energy to produce an average unit of electricity.

Gregory Barker: DECC has not estimated the cross-lifetime consumer end cost for each mode of renewable energy. However, DECC does publish levelised costs estimates of various generation technologies on the DECC website. The levelised cost of electricity generation for a particular technology is the ratio of the total costs of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant's lifetime (per megawatt hour).
	Levelised costs include pre-development costs, capex and infrastructure costs, operating costs, connection costs and where appropriate carbon and fuel costs. Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is uncertainty around these estimates. The latest published figures are available:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decc-electricity-generation-costs-2013
	It should be noted that levelised cost estimates are intended to represent the average cost of building a plant and do directly reflect the impacts on the bills of energy consumers.
	In addition to levelised costs, DECC publishes estimates of the impacts of policies on energy prices and bills. The latest publication estimates that support for renewable electricity generation through the Renewables Obligation accounts for around 2% (or £30, in real 2012 prices) of the household dual fuel energy bill:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172923/130326_Price_and_Bill_ Impacts_Report_Final

Renewable Energy

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy of the draft decision of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on the UK's National Renewable Energy Action Plan published in July 2013.

Michael Fallon: I am disappointed that the Committee has decided to make a finding of non-compliance with respect to Article 7 as it applies to the United Kingdom's NREAP. The United Kingdom is of course aware of its obligations under Article 7 and will seek to act in compliance with them where those obligations apply. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan was based on the Renewable Energy Strategy which was developed following consultation in 2008.
	We note that the committee found in favour of the UK Government in relation to all the other aspects of the complaint—in particular, those relating to the planning decisions on the wind farm involved. There is no formal role for the NREAP in planning decisions. The policy documents in relation to DECC's energy infrastructure consenting decisions, notably the National Policy Statements, are unaffected by this decision and were in any event subject to public participation as required by Article 7. Therefore, the Committee's draft findings are not expected to have an effect on DECC's planning decisions or policy.

Renewable Energy: Heating

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to introduce the Renewable Heat Incentive for residential properties; and when he expects that grant to be available.

Gregory Barker: We published the details of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive on 12 July; and these are available through our website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/renewable-heat-incentive-proposals-for-a-domestic-scheme
	Subject to EU state aid and parliamentary approval, we intend to open the scheme for payments from spring 2014.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of heat generated by heat pumps that can be considered as renewable according to existing regulations.

Gregory Barker: The EC directive on renewable energy defines the renewable energy from a heat pump as the total usable heat less the energy used to drive the heat pump. The "Seasonal Performance Factor" (SPF) of a heat pump, a measure of its efficiency, is defined as the heat output divided by the energy input. This means that the corresponding renewable energy can be defined as the heat output times (1 - 1/SPF). The directive also sets a minimum SPF for heat pump outputs to be defined as renewable under the terms of the directive. For electrically driven heat pumps, this is currently 2.5; for heat driven ones, it is 1.15. When this is achieved the renewable component is at least 60% of the total heat output of an electrically driven heat pump, and 13% of a heat driven one. For electric heat pumps with an SPF of 3.0, the share is 67%. We estimate that most (electric) heat pumps operating in UK houses have SPFs in the range 2.5 to 3, and we are undertaking a major monitoring programme of installations under the renewable heat premium payment (RHPP) policy.

Wind Power

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind farm developers did not have the relevant licences to erect wind turbines over 10mw in the last year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) is not aware of any wind turbines having been erected without the developer having obtained all necessary licences which they are required to obtain.
	In respect of licences to generate electricity granted under the Electricity Act 1989, a recent judgement (or Opinion) in the Scottish Courts ([2013] CSOH 158(1)) concluded that Scottish Ministers did not have power to grant consent under section 36 of that Act (which is necessary to construct generating stations of a certain size) to a person who made such application before holding such an electricity generation licence (or an exemption from the requirement to hold such a licence). We understand that Scottish Ministers intend to appeal the judgment.
	Decisions of the Scottish Courts are not binding in England and Wales and consenting authorities in England and Wales have not taken the approach that it is necessary to hold a generation licence (or an exemption) under the Act before applying for consent under section 36 of the Act.
	(1 )http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/2013CSOH158.html

Wind Power

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average annual failure rate of wind turbines is.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold this information.

Wind Power

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average installation cost of a wind turbine is.

Gregory Barker: DECC has published levelised costs estimates of various generation technologies on the DECC website since 2010. The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total costs of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant's lifetime (per megawatt hour). Levelised costs include pre-development costs, capex and infrastructure costs, operating costs, connection costs and carbon and fuel costs. Installation costs, along with other costs form part of the capital costs of a project.
	Levelised costs do not include revenues or support payments. The estimates include costs for projects starting now and in the future. All documents relating to electricity generation costs are available on the DECC website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/energy-generation-cost-projections
	Table 2 of this report shows central estimates of the levelised costs of various technologies for projects starting in 2013 using a 10% discount rate, broken down into components parts. These are copied here for onshore wind and offshore wind Rounds 2 and 3:
	
		
			 Table 2: Central levelised cost estimates for projects starting in 2013. 10% discount rate, £/MWh 
			  Onshore >5MWUK Offshore R2 Offshore R3 
			 Pre-development costs 7 4 6 
			 Capital Costs 70 77 78 
			 Fixed O&M 18 31 36 
			 Variable O&M 5 1 0 
			 Fuel Costs 0 0 0 
			 Carbon Costs 0 0 0 
			 CO2 Capture and Storage Costs 0 0 0 
			 Decommissioning and Waste Fund 0 0 0 
			 Total Levelised Costs 101 113 120 
		
	
	Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
	It is appropriate to consider a range of cost estimates as pipeline projects show a large range around these central values.
	Table 3 of this report shows a range for the levelised costs of various technologies for projects starting in 20.13 using a 10% discount rate. Those representing high and low capital estimates for onshore wind and offshore wind Rounds 2 and 3 are copied here:
	
		
			 Table 3: Sensitivities on levelised cost estimates for projects starting in 2013, 10% discount rate, £/MWh 
			  Onshore >5MW UK Offshore R2 Offshore R3 
			 Central 101 113 120 
			 High Capex 125 129 139 
			 Low Capex 80 100 105

Wind Power: Noise

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the planning process takes account of potential effects on health of noise from wind farms; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: A number of independent peer reviewed research studies commissioned by Government have looked at the impacts of noise from wind farms, and concluded that there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise generated by wind turbines, for turbines built according to our guidelines.
	Wind farms will only be developed where the impacts are, or can be made, acceptable. For onshore wind developments of 50 MW or less installed capacity (under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990), the National Planning Policy Framework sets out how noise impacts should be assessed in planning decision making. The National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) provides guidance on noise impacts for wind farm projects in England and Wales with generating capacities of more than 50 MW onshore and 100 MW offshore.

Wind Power: Northamptonshire

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department will provide to the developer of the Spring Farm Ridge wind farm application in South Northamptonshire, if that developer is approved.

Michael Fallon: The level of support available for any wind farm is dependent on the mechanism through which it receives support.
	Onshore wind generating stations above five megawatts in scale are eligible for support under the renewables obligation (RO), administered by Ofgem. Stations that satisfy the eligibility requirements and accredit under the scheme between now and 31 March 2017 are eligible to receive 0.9 renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) for every megawatt hour of eligible renewable electricity generated.
	As an alternative to the RO, onshore wind generating stations will also be eligible for support under contracts for difference. A public consultation on proposed strike prices for a range of renewable technologies, including onshore wind, closed on 25 September. The responses are being analysed and we expect to confirm the final strike prices in December.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether contracts let in the Round 3 tranche of offshore wind energy contracts will be subject to the provisions of the EU (a) procurement and (b) utilities directives; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not anticipate letting any contracts, to procure the works, goods or services required to build and operate the Round 3 offshore wind farms. In due course, should the developers of the Round 3 offshore wind farms be in a position to let contracts, it will be up to those developers to seek their own legal advice to determine whether any contracts they let are bound by the provisions of the EU procurement or utilities directives.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Army

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will establish an independent panel to investigate the events in Ballymurphy in August 1971.

Theresa Villiers: I have received the proposal from the Ballymurphy families for an independent review panel into events surrounding deaths in the Ballymurphy area in August 1971. This proposal is currently being considered.

Army

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the First and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland regarding the killings in Ballymurphy in August 1971.

Theresa Villiers: I hold regular meetings with the First and Deputy First Minister covering a range of issues, including addressing the past in Northern Ireland.

Army

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how she plans to assess the implementation of independent panels to investigate specific cases from the past.

Theresa Villiers: Each case is assessed on its merits and consideration is given to a range of issues including other ongoing investigations.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much her Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: For the year 2012-13, my Department spent £1,752 under the Government's Carbon Offsetting Framework.

Civil Disorder

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effects of public disorder in summer 2013 on the economy in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: I have condemned the public disorder in the summer in the strongest terms. We and the Executive do all we can to make clear to people outside that Northern Ireland is a confident, forward looking place that is great to live, work and do business in. The violence of a tiny and unrepresentative minority can undermine that work, and damage prospects for the economy, and for community relations.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by her Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Theresa Villiers: For the reporting year 2012-13, 19% of staff employed by my Department were marked as 'outstanding'; of these, 5.6% of staff have declared themselves as disabled. The remaining 71% were marked as 'satisfactory' and of staff in this category, 3.7 % have declared themselves to be disabled.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to her Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Theresa Villiers: My Department has two executive non-departmental public bodies—the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland; and one advisory non-departmental public body—the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. As these bodies are independent of Government, the hon. Member may wish to write to the Commissions directly on these matters—contact details are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 ALB Status Contact details 
			 Parades Commission for Northern Ireland Executive NDPB info@paradescommission.org 
			 Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Executive NDPB information@nihrc.org 
			 Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland Advisory NDPB bcni@belfast.org.uk

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in her Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Theresa Villiers: No staff in my Department have been made redundant since 2010.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether she has had any discussions about the acquisition and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to the policing of (a) the recent G8 summit and (b) public order disturbances arising from parades. [R]

Theresa Villiers: I meet regularly with the Chief Constable to discuss a range of issues in relation to the security situation in Northern Ireland, including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Policing in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and therefore a responsibility for the local Minister for Justice. This includes responsibility for the procurement and deployment of operational assets including unmanned aerial vehicles.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Abortion: Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Attorney-General what factors were taken into account by the Crown Prosecution Service in declining to prosecute those suspected of being complicit in unlawful gender abortions in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has provided full written reasons that explain the decision making in the cases referred to. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The DPP has reviewed those decisions personally and the Attorney-General is satisfied that these difficult decisions were taken properly and conscientiously.
	On the facts of the cases referred to, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that it would not be possible to prove that either doctor authorised an abortion on gender-specific grounds alone.

Abortion: Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of suspected sex-selection abortions in the United Kingdom have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for investigation and possible prosecution in each year since 2010; what the outcome was in each case where proceedings are complete; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not conduct criminal investigations. That is a matter for the police.
	The CPS does not maintain a central record of the number of cases referred to it for a charging decision where an offence or offences of sex selective abortions are alleged. To provide this information would require a manual search of files incurring disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Prosecutions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to the answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report, columns 317-18W, on drugs: prosecutions, if he will provide the latest available data on the number of offences charged for supply and possession in the last complete financial year.

Oliver Heald: The data provided in reference to the Attorney-General’s answer of 14 March 2013, Official Report, columns 317-18W, contained tables detailing the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) figures by police force area from the financial year 2007-08. These tables have been updated to August 2013 and I am placing them in the Library of the House of Commons.
	Supply and possession of drugs offences are prosecuted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The records held by the CPS identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of defendants prosecuted. The tables therefore show the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged for supply and possession offences for the last five complete financial years. Offences for possession with intent to supply have been separated out for clarity. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

Offences Against Children: Prosecutions

Ann Coffey: To ask the Attorney-General how many finalised defendant prosecutions were prosecuted under charges relating to sexual offences involving a victim under 18 years of age (a) for the last three years for which data are available and (b) since January 2013.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of completed prosecutions for the number of defendants, whose principal offence was categorised as sexual offences. The CPS also identifies, by way of a monitoring flag, all defendant cases involving a victim under 18 years of age. The following table sets out the number of such prosecutions in each of the last three complete calendar years and from 1 January 2013 to 10 October:
	
		
			  Convictions Unsuccessful Total 
			  No. % No. % No. 
			 2010 3,421 75.1 1,136 24.9 4,557 
			 2011 3,557 74.7 1,204 25.3 4,761 
			 2012 3,256 75.6 1,049 24.4 4,305 
			 2013 2,467 77.0 736 23.0 3,203 
		
	
	This definition includes crimes perpetrated by both adults and those under 18 years of age.

Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Attorney-General under what circumstances he intervenes in decisions made by the Crown Prosecution Service; if he will list the occasions when this has happened in each year since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The responsibilities of the Law Officers in respect of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are outlined in the “Protocol between the Attorney General and the Prosecuting Departments” which is published online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protocol-between-the-attorney-general-and-prosecuting-departments
	The number of occasions where the Law Officers may have intervened, for example, by asking about particular decisions made by the CPS is not recorded centrally and such information could not be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Attorney-General how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to the Law Officers’ Departments in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Oliver Heald: The Law Officers’ Departments are not responsible for any non-departmental public bodies.

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many Serious Fraud Office (SFO) decisions to investigate were signed off by (a) Richard Alderman, (b) Phillippa Williamson and (c) other senior members of SFO staff during Mr Alderman’s tenure as director of the SFO; and what records were kept of such decisions.

Dominic Grieve: holding answer 6 September 2013
	During Richard Alderman’s tenure, between 21 April 2008 and 20 April 2012, 58 cases were accepted for criminal investigation. These decisions were normally recorded on case acceptance notification forms.
	The records show that seven of the 58 cases were accepted for investigation by Richard Alderman, 39 by Phillippa Williamson, and 12 by the Tactical Tasking and Coordination Group. This group reported to the director through the then Executive Board.
	On 30 September at Southwark Crown court, HHJ Loraine-Smith ruled in favour of the Serious Fraud Office’s position that Richard Alderman was empowered to delegate the decision to accept cases.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Betting Shops

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the use of powers to act against the proliferation of betting shops in a local area.

Brandon Lewis: Local planning authorities can issue an ‘Article 4' direction, in consultation with the local community, which removes permitted development rights and ensures that where there is a change of use a planning application is required. Guidance can be found on the Planning Portal, for example, the London borough of Barking and Dagenham has been consulting on an Article 4 Direction and associated supplementary planning guidance to address the proliferation of betting shops in the local area.

Charities

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to ensure that his Department does not give grants to charities whose principal officers or employees engage in criminal activity at protests.

Stephen Williams: In line with previous Administrations, the Department does not provide grants for organisations that are involved in criminal activity. Organisations that exist for political purposes would not meet the criteria for charitable status and we would be unable to award them grants under the Charities Act 2006. If the hon. Member is aware that any Government funding has been misused, or any other assistance given, for the purposes of inappropriate political campaigning, we would welcome the hon. Member drawing it to our attention.

Empty Property

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on council tax rates for empty properties and empowering local authorities to pursue compulsory purchase on long-term empty properties.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has a comprehensive empty homes strategy, as outlined in the answer of 11 December 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA219. Since 1 April 2013 billing authorities can set the council tax levels on unoccupied and unfurnished properties between zero and 100%. If a property remains unoccupied and unfurnished for two years or more a billing authority can charge an empty homes premium of up to 50% extra council tax.
	Local authorities have powers to purchase empty properties to bring them back into use. In order for a compulsory purchase order to be confirmed a local authority should have a scheme for the property, have been unable to bring it back into use in any other way, and be able to demonstrate that there are no financial or planning impediments to prevent their scheme going ahead. I would add that this Government has reformed Empty Dwelling Management Orders to ensure a more sensible balance between civil liberties, private property rights and state intervention.

Fire Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Fire Brigades Union regarding firefighters' retirement age;
	(2)  when he will reopen negotiations with the Fire Brigades Union on firefighters’ retirement age.

Brandon Lewis: I have met regularly with the Fire Brigades Union to discuss reforms to the firefighters' pension schemes in England, most recently on 7 October 2013. I am happy to continue discussions and would be prepared to involve ACAS to facilitate talks with employers on fitness and capability issues.
	The Fire Brigades Union's trade dispute letter explains that the union would not be pursuing industrial action over the normal pension age of 60, which is in line with other uniformed services. Firefighters who joined the Fire and Rescue Service after 6 April 2006 already have a normal pension age of 60 and that pension age already applies to one in three firefighters.

Funerals: Low Incomes

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grants have been issued for paupers' funerals in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the number of awards made for public health funerals; these are arranged by individual local authorities. Benefit claimants who are in receipt of an appropriate qualifying benefit may apply for a Social Fund Funeral Payment or a Budgeting Loan to help with the cost of the funeral of a relative or close friend. We do not hold information about how many of these awards may have been used towards the cost of a public health funeral. Table 1 gives the total number of funeral payment awards made in the last five years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Funeral payments awards between 2008-09 and 2012-13 
			  Funeral payment awards 
			 2008-09 40,510 
			 2009-10 39,010 
			 2010-11 38,200 
			 2011-12 37,650 
			 2012-13 35,160 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, these amounts do not include expenditure on applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. The figures relate to awards, not people. Individuals can apply for and receive more than one Social Fund grant in any given year. 3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers he has to ensure that local planning authorities' estimates of the need for additional pitches for Gypsies and Travellers in their area are based upon accurate estimates of this need; and what steps he is empowered to take if such estimates are found to be inaccurate.

Brandon Lewis: Our planning policy for traveller sites makes clear that as part of the local plan-making process, councils should objectively assess their own traveller site needs and then identify a suitable five-year supply of sites to meet their need, as far as is consistent with national planning policy as a whole.
	The local plan is subject to a public examination in front of an independent inspector. This will include testing the number of traveller pitches in the plan and checking that the council's proposals are supported by a robust evidence base. Following the examination, the inspector reports either that the plan is sound and can be adopted or that the plan is unsound and should be withdrawn.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the sharing of transit site facilities for Travellers by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Our planning policy for traveller sites returns to local councils, in consultation with their local community, the freedom and responsibility to assess their traveller site needs including the need for transit sites. It asks councils to then work in consultation to identify a suitable five-year supply of sites to meet their objectively assessed need.
	Local authorities have a duty to co-operate on planning issues that cross administrative boundaries. Our policy makes clear that local authorities should work together to prepare and maintain an up-to-date understanding of the likely permanent and transit accommodation needs for their areas. They should also consider the production of joint development plans to provide more flexibility in identifying sites, particularly if a local planning authority has special or strict planning constraints across its area.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) homes and (b) businesses in (i) Ribble Valley constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the UK have access to high speed broadband.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom's Infrastructure Report update in 2012 stated that superfast broadband availability was 55.2% in the Lancashire county council area, compared with 65% for the UK as a whole at that time. Ofcom is likely to update its local estimates for counties and unitary authorities in the near future and when next reported these figures are likely to be higher than those reported in 2012. Figures are not available for the Ribble Valley constituency.
	The Government allocated £10.83 million to support roll-out of broadband in Lancashire. The project is in delivery and is aiming to complete by 2015.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to increase the rate at which broadband is being rolled out to rural areas.

Edward Vaizey: 42 local broadband projects have signed contract and are in implementation. 100,000 premises have had superfast broadband made available as a result of BDUK intervention. BDUK will continue to support local projects throughout the programme's lifecycle and October 2013 will see the acceleration of the roll out to more than 10,000 premises each week. By the spring of 2014 it is anticipated that 25,000 premises per week will be gaining availability to superfast broadband and by the summer of 2014 that will rise up to 40,000 per week. Over the lifetime of the programme we estimate that over 4 million homes and businesses across the UK will have gained availability to superfast broadband.
	In addition, the Government is removing a swathe of red tape to avoid potential delays to the roll out of infrastructure. Measures are in place to relax the planning restrictions for new cabinets, poles and overhead lines, and mobile infrastructure, to speed up and reduce costs to communications providers rolling out broadband. The Government is leading discussions with key players to improve the co-ordination of street works and achieve value for money in relation to power supplies to cabinets as part of the rural broadband programme. The wayleave regime governing the installation of equipment on private land is also to be reformed which should help speeding up the installation of communications infrastructure in rural areas.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will consider flying the flags of the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on a more regular basis;
	(2)  if she will consider flying the flags of the Commonwealth of Nations on a more regular basis.

Helen Grant: The flags of the Commonwealth nations are flown on the ceremonial route on occasions including Trooping the Colour and associated events, London state visits and Commonwealth Day. There are currently no plans to fly them more regularly though we will be considering when they can be flown as part of the celebration of next year's Commonwealth games.

Historic Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the maintenance of historical properties in the UK is currently funded by revenue from Heritage Maintenance Funds.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS does not hold information on what proportion of the maintenance carried out to the UK's historic properties is funded by revenue from the approximately 135 Heritage Maintenance Funds in existence.

Musicians’ Union

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason she has recently declined an invitation to meet representatives of the Musicians’ Union and Equity.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State was unable to meet representatives of the Musicians’ Union and Equity due to diary pressures. I have regular meetings with the Musicians’ Union.

Newspaper Press: Retail Trade

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the progress of retailers in implementing guidelines on the display of newspapers and magazines featuring age sensitive content following the Bailey review; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: In May 2013, the Government published the ‘Letting children be children: progress report’. The report set out progress on each of Reg Bailey's recommendations, including that the publishing and retail industry work to “ensure that magazines and newspapers with sexualised images on their covers are not in easy sight of children”. The progress report is available on the Gov.uk website.

Ofcom

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the employment contract for the chief executive of Ofcom is due to be renewed.

Edward Vaizey: The terms of employment for the chief executive of Ofcom are a matter for Ofcom, the independent regulator.

Piers

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds her Department makes available to refurbish privately-owned seafront piers.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not directly provide funding to refurbish privately owned piers. However, funding may be available from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage depending on a pier meeting their criteria for funding.
	HLF has previously funded a number of piers in public or charitable ownership. Recent changes to their criteria mean that from 2013 they now also accept applications from private individuals for physical work to heritage assets under their Our Heritage programme, which provides grants of more, than £10,000 and up to £100,000 for projects related to national, regional or local heritage in the UK. This includes piers.
	English Heritage provides grant aid to designated assets in England, normally at grade I and II*, prioritising heritage at risk.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to her Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Helen Grant: We do not hold central records for the non-departmental public bodies.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Helen Grant: The following table shows the number of employees who took voluntary redundancy in the Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13, and the number of such staff who received payments in lieu of notice.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of employees who took voluntary redundancy Number of employees who received a payment in lieu of notice 
			 2010-11 32 32 
			 2011-12 27 23 
			 2012-13 89 9

World Heritage Sites: South West

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress her Department has made on plans for Tavistock to become the key eastern visitor centre for the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

Edward Vaizey: It is a matter for the Cornwall and West Devon World Heritage Site management to determine where visitor centres should be located.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Devolution: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from the Welsh Government regarding a constitutional convention.

Greg Clark: The Deputy Prime Minister has not received any recent representations on the topic of a constitutional convention from the Welsh Government.

Electoral Register

Frank Field: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for how long a Commonwealth citizen must be present in the UK before they can be included in the electoral register.

Greg Clark: There is no specific length of time a qualifying Commonwealth citizen must be present in the UK before they can register to vote. However, in order for an electoral registration officer to add a qualifying Commonwealth citizen to the electoral register, they must be satisfied that he or she is resident in that constituency.

Electoral Register

Frank Field: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what checks of immigration status are carried out before a person is included in the electoral register; and who undertakes such checks.

Greg Clark: The annual canvass form and the provisions for rolling registration capture a person's nationality. The electoral registration officer (ERO) uses this information to determine a person's eligibility to register. Electoral registration officers have the power to require further information if they have any doubts about the eligibility of any applicant.
	In future when applying to register to vote under individual electoral registration, application forms will clearly set out the eligibility requirements and applicants will still have to declare their nationality. Additionally, it will be possible for the ERO to request further evidence regarding immigration status to determine whether an individual is eligible to register.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales;
	(2)  whether his Office has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Nick Hurd: The Deputy Prime Ministers Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Cabinet Office manages the GOV.UK website, through which UK citizens can access Government information and digital services. The site links to all Welsh-language Government transactions via:
	https://www.gov.uk/cymraeg
	and has Welsh-language content for a number of commonly-used services, such as information on car tax and bank holidays. The site gives Government Departments the ability to publish Welsh-language content in line with the requirements of their individual Welsh language schemes.
	The Cabinet Office does not yet have a Welsh language scheme.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the administrative burden placed on UK farmers applying for the single farm payment compared to those in other EU member states; and if he will bring forward proposals to reduce that burden.

George Eustice: No such assessment has been made. Common agricultural policy (CAP) reform will from 2015 replace the existing single payment scheme with a new framework of direct payments. We are investing now in a much more efficient, customer friendly, online system ready to support implementation from 2015. The new CAP delivery system will be simpler and accessible to farmers by eliminating unnecessary complexities and by avoiding gold-plating.

Air Pollution

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason he proposes to remove the legal duty on local authorities to monitor local air quality and designate air quality management areas.

George Eustice: The Government has consulted on options to improve the delivery of local air quality management responsibilities that local authorities have under the Environment Act 1995. This included proposals to streamline reporting for local air quality and to improve reporting on measures to improve air quality.
	Local authorities do not have a legal duty to monitor local air quality. The consultation on local air quality management sought views on the implications of the Government's proposals for local air quality monitoring that does take place and also on whether or not local authorities should continue to have a duty to declare air quality management areas, where objectives set out in the Air Quality England Regulations 2000 are not met. The Government is considering the responses to its consultation and expects to publish a summary of those responses by the end of 2013. This will be followed by a further consultation on revised regulations and guidance in 2014.

Biofuels

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2013, Official Report, column 859W, on biofuels, how many microgrammes of small particulates (PM2.5) per cubic metre of air he expects emissions from biomass combustion to add to the atmosphere in the UK in 2020 (a) net of fuels displaced by biomass and (b) not net of fuels displaced by biomass.

Dan Rogerson: The impacts on air quality arising from the use of biomass in 2020 have been assessed for the main combustion sources ie electricity generation, domestic and non-domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) schemes and domestic heating outside of the RHI.
	(a) The net impact on air quality of these biomass sources has been recently modelled as adding 0.327 ug/m3 to UK population weighted mean annual average concentrations of small particulates (PM2.5).
	(b) The air quality impact of biomass use has not been assessed separately from other fuel sources, therefore it is not possible to estimate the gross change to PM2.5 concentrations in 2020.

Birds

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with farming bodies to protect the yellowhammer in the UK; and what incentives exist for habitat improvement.

George Eustice: I am not aware of any discussions the Secretary of State has had with farming bodies to discuss the protection of the yellowhammer.
	Incentives for farmers and other land managers to conserve and enhance important farmland bird habitats are provided through Environmental Stewardship.
	Following a recent review, new payments were introduced from 1 January 2013 specifically to provide food over the winter months (the 'hungry gap') for grain eating birds such as the yellowhammer: these payments include supplementary feeding and allowing silage fields to go to seed during the autumn to provide a food source over the winter.
	We are also looking at what further enhancements can be made to current scheme options for the successor to Environmental Stewardship for delivery in the next Rural Development Programme.
	Conservation of biodiversity is a devolved matter so action in other parts of the UK is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to calculate the loss to farmers as a consequence of outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis.

George Eustice: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer provided by the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr Heath) on 24 June 2013, Official Report, column 67W.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence is used by his Department to calculate compensation for animals destroyed as a result of a positive test for bovine tuberculosis; and where that evidence is published.

George Eustice: Compensation in England is in nearly all cases determined using table values, which reflect the average sales price of bovine animals in 51 different categories. Compensation rates, in each of the 51 categories, are re-calculated each month using large amounts of open market sales data. The categories are based on cattle age, gender, type (dairy or beef) and status (pedigree or non-pedigree).
	Compensation table valuations by month can be found on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/controls/compensation/cattle/

Bovine Tuberculosis

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which badger cull licences have been issued in the last year; and for what geographical area each such licence covered.

George Eustice: Three badger cull licences have been issued in the last year by Natural England. Two licences cover the area of west Somerset, the first for six weeks and the second for three, the other licence covers west Gloucestershire.
	Natural England issues a range of licences for purposes other than controlling bovine TB. Further information can be found on Natural England's website:
	http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/species/badgers.aspx

Bovine Tuberculosis

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any badger cull licences have been issued covering areas outside Somerset and Gloucestershire.

George Eustice: No badger cull licences have been issued by Natural England covering areas outside of west Somerset and west Gloucestershire. Dorset was a reserve pilot area, but no licence was issued.
	Natural England issues a range of licences for purposes other than controlling bovine TB. Further information can be found on Natural England's website:
	http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/species/badgers.aspx

Bovine Tuberculosis

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many badgers have been culled in the (a) Gloucestershire and (b) Somerset pilot zones since the commencement of shooting;
	(2)  what the average number of badgers killed per day since the commencement of shooting in the (a) Gloucestershire and (b) Somerset pilot zones has been.

George Eustice: I would like to refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 9 October 2013, Official Report, columns 23-24WS. Detailed operational information will not be published during the pilots. Details of the two badger cull pilots, including the number of badgers culled in each of the pilot areas, will be published in due course following their completion.

Buildings

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the number of office relocations made by staff of (a) his Department and (b) his Department's non-departmental public bodies (i) within the original building and (ii) to other buildings in each year since 2009-10; what the cost of (A) removals and (B) refurbishments related to such moves has been; and on how many occasions offices refurbished by his Department in that period have been used by his Department's staff for less than four years before a further move.

George Eustice: This question could be answered only at disproportionate cost due to the range and complexity of the information requested.
	Within the cost threshold I can confirm that, since 2009-10, nine offices refurbished by core DEFRA and its non-departmental public bodies have been used by core DEFRA and its non-departmental public bodies' staff for less than four year before a further move. In all cases, the further moves reflected opportunities to make efficiency savings, for example in relation to lease breaks, which outweighed costs.

Butterflies

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve butterfly habitats in the UK.

George Eustice: England's biodiversity strategy, Biodiversity 2020, takes an integrated, large-scale approach to biodiversity conservation, exemplified by our Nature Improvement Areas initiative. This approach is designed to meet the habitat needs of many species including butterflies.
	The strategy recognises that there will also be a need to take targeted action for the recovery of certain priority species, including certain butterfly species, whose conservation is not delivered through wider habitat-based measures. These species are catered for through Natural England's species recovery programme.
	Incentives for farmers and other land managers to conserve and enhance important wildlife habitats, including those for butterflies, are provided under Environmental Stewardship.
	Following a recent review, new payments were introduced from 1 January 2013 to improve habitats and food for pollinators including butterflies, which provide for the addition of wildflowers to buffer strips and field corners, and the provision of legume-rich and herb-rich swards.
	For the future, we are currently considering the scope for further enhancements for pollinators as part of wider environmental delivery through the reformed common agricultural policy.
	Conservation of biodiversity is a devolved matter so action in other parts of the UK is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

Fisheries: Western Sahara

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how he will ensure that a part of the money paid by the EU under the new protocol to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement will be for the benefit of the indigenous people of Western Sahara.

George Eustice: The new protocol to the fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet been agreed by the Council and the European Parliament. The Government is studying the proposed protocol carefully ahead of discussions expected in Council later this autumn.
	The protocol, as initialled, requires Morocco to report on the geographical distribution of European funds for structural support and infrastructure, and to include the impact on jobs and investment.

Fisheries: Western Sahara

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what mechanism he will ensure that Saharawi will be employed on the EU vessels fishing under the new protocol to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement.

George Eustice: The new protocol to the fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet been agreed by the Council and the European Parliament. The Government is studying the proposed protocol carefully ahead of discussions expected in Council later this autumn.
	The protocol, as initialled, contains no direct reference to the employment of Saharawi. However, it does include obligations for vessel owners to take on board a minimum number of Moroccan seamen.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research his Department has funded on the effectiveness of different approaches to tackling vitamin A deficiency in the Global South including GM, conventional plant breeding, vitamin supplements and diet diversification;
	(2)  what stage of development GM golden rice has reached in terms of (a) its risk assessment on health and the environment and (b) its efficacy in tackling vitamin A deficiency.

George Eustice: DEFRA has not commissioned any research in relation to tackling vitamin A deficiency. Up-to-date information on the development of GM golden rice is available on the website of the International Rice Research Initiative at:
	http://irri.org/
	Trials of golden rice have taken place in the Philippines to obtain data in support of an application for regulatory approval. If the authorities determine that golden rice is safe for human health and the environment, it is planned to undertake an independent evaluation of its efficacy in improving vitamin A status.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has conducted on the effect of the development of glyphosate-resistant weeds in (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) other countries and the effect of such developments on the costs of production.

George Eustice: DEFRA has not commissioned any research on the effect of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned into the cost effectiveness of GM crops compared to conventionally bred varieties; and if he will provide the (a) conclusions and (b) cost of each such project.

Dan Rogerson: A DEFRA-funded review has been published of the farm-level economic impacts of GM crops, available at:
	http://www.environmentalevidence.org/SR11002.html
	The main conclusion from the study is that farmers growing GM crops experience higher costs but also higher profits than those producing the equivalent non-GM varieties. This research formed part of a wider project, the total cost of which was £55,000.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on limiting loss of ancient woodland from High Speed 2;
	(2)  how many of his Department's officials are working with the Department of Transport on limiting environmental damage during the construction of High Speed 2.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has not held any specific discussions to date with the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), on limiting loss of ancient woodland from High Speed 2.
	DEFRA's non-departmental public bodies, Natural England (NE) and the Environment Agency (EA), are providing environmental advice to HS2 Ltd at an early stage, in advance of any future parliamentary, planning, licensing and permitting phases. They will look at the impact of the route as they would any scheme of this nature. This will ensure that the development of HS2 is consistent with a robust approach to environmental compliance. NE and EA's engagement with HS2 Ltd is underpinned by formal service level agreements.
	The varying range and terms of inputs required from DEFRA officials over the pre-legislative stages of HS2 to date mean it is not possible to determine a precise figure for numbers involved. Officials however work with their DFT colleagues to ensure that high standards of environmental compliance are integral parts of the HS2 project.
	Parliament will have the opportunity to consider the final Environmental Statement (ES) when it is deposited alongside the Hybrid Bill. The final ES will include detailed information on the environmental impacts of the scheme and the company's proposed mitigation.

Landfill: EU Action

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the UK will meet the landfill reduction requirement set by the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: The latest provisional data indicates that the UK will meet its 2013 target under the EU landfill directive to divert waste from landfill. We also expect to meet the equivalent target for 2020.

Livestock: Transport

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many transporters have been involved with the export of livestock from the UK for further fattening or slaughter in the last 12 months.

George Eustice: 20 authorised transporters have been involved with the export of livestock from Great Britain for further fattening or slaughter in the last 12 months. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) are responsible for exports from Northern Ireland.

Pets: Sales

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the responsibilities of trading standards and a local authority's licensing department are with regards to the regulation of pet shops.

George Eustice: Trading standards officers are responsible for enforcing consumer-related legislation, including products on sale at pet shops. Under the Pet Animals Act 1951, local authorities (in most cases the Environmental Health Department) are responsible for issuing licences to pet shops. In deciding whether to grant a licence, local authorities need to be satisfied that the animals are being provided with their welfare needs.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department is making in removing rhododendron bushes infected with Ramorum blight.

George Eustice: Current surveillance activity includes inspection or survey of wholesale and retail nurseries, ports, parks, gardens and the wider environment to identify and control new outbreaks. Extended surveys are also conducted around known Rhododendron ponticum outbreak sites and around positive larch sites to locate any Rhododendron ponticum. Eradication activity is based around landowners removing infected sporulating Rhododendron ponticum where identified by surveillance. Further Rhododendron ponticum clearance is being undertaken by landowners, via the Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) schemes administered by the Forestry Commission, where it is in association with previous or ongoing infection and therefore considered a high risk of increasing inoculum levels.

Plants: Disease Control

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the biosecurity risks to the UK from tree and plant imports from outside the EU which are transhipped via another EU member state.

George Eustice: The Plant Health Directive (2000/29/EC) already prohibits the import of a number of tree and plant species into the EU in response to plant health risks that have been identified. Those species which can be imported must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate to confirm that they meet any relevant import requirements. Such requirements apply whether the trees and plants are imported directly into the UK, or elsewhere in the EU.
	In addition, the Government is developing a new plant health risk register in response to the report of the independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce, to enhance our existing process of identifying, assessing and responding to new and revised plant health threats. This will be published shortly.

Plastic Bags: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Environment Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive on the effectiveness of the plastic bag tax in reducing plastic bag usage in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: Officials have been kept informed of the results of the carrier bag tax in Northern Ireland. We are determined to tackle the blight caused by carrier bags, and therefore have recently announced our plan to introduce a charge of 5p on single-use plastic carrier bags in autumn 2015 to decrease their distribution in England.

Productivity

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the Eurostat resource productivity scale.

George Eustice: No formal assessment of Eurostat's resource productivity scale has been made. However, it was considered alongside a number of other proposals as part of the UK response to a consultation by the European Commission on options for resource efficiency indicators in 2012. The UK response noted that the indicator has a number of recognised weaknesses regarding the coverage of materials and the treatment of imports. We are working with the Commission to help improve the methodology used.
	The UK response to the consultation is available on the Commission website:
	http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm

Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what length of the English coastal path is currently available for public access; what proportion this represents of the eventual complete path; and when he expects the full length of the path to be publicly accessible.

George Eustice: An estimated 66% of the total English coast of 4,422 km has legally secured access. This includes existing long-distance paths such as the South West Coastal Path of 1,000 km. The right of coastal access has been introduced on a 32 km stretch of the English coast at Weymouth under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, representing 0.7% of the estimated total length of the English coast.
	We have not set a timetable for completion of the English coastal path but are pressing ahead with delivering coastal access on a further 10 stretches of the English coast. We are applying the lessons that we have learnt to make sure it offers value for money.

Rural Areas: Public Transport

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that rural communities have adequate access to public transport.

George Eustice: DEFRA officials work closely with colleagues in the Department for Transport (DFT) to understand and monitor access concerns in rural areas and to rural proof the impacts of policies. For example, work is being carried out within DFT to set up a monitoring and evaluation framework for assessing reforms to the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG), and DFT is discussing the possible impacts of these changes to rural areas with DEFRA.
	DEFRA and DFT have also convened a working group of operators, local authorities, and voluntary providers to encourage them to come up with practical solutions to fill gaps in rural transport provision. This is part of the Government's response to last year's Youth Select Committee report on transport and young people. This work is ongoing and interim findings are due next spring.

Sky Lanterns

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to prevent crimes against wildlife arising from the use of Chinese lanterns and fireworks.

George Eustice: The independent study published in May this year concluded that the impact of sky lanterns on animal health and welfare is low. This was considered insufficient to justify and support action to ban the use of sky lanterns.
	Any future action Government may take will need to be proportionate to the problem and backed by reliable evidence.
	The study suggests that voluntary actions and initiatives to raise public awareness are effective. We are now working with other Government Departments and stakeholders across the hospitality and retail sectors to raise awareness of the risks that sky lanterns pose and identify actions to mitigate those risks.
	The issue of fireworks falls under the responsibility of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.

Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to provide a full response to the final report from the Tree and Plant Health Biosecurity Expert Taskforce.

George Eustice: The Government will provide a full response to the final report from the independent Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce later this year.

Trees: Disease Control

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition of tree his Department uses in relation to biosecurity.

George Eustice: In relation to biosecurity, the definition of a tree is cast as wide as possible in order to avoid creating loopholes and gaps. The aim is to identify, assess and respond to threats to trees whatever their size and setting—forests, amenity sites (eg parks and gardens), street trees, orchards, private gardens, trees along motorways and rail lines and in trade networks, including nurseries.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what purpose, at what location and on how many occasions his Department has used drones in each of the last five years. [R]

George Eustice: Core DEFRA has not used any unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) over the last five years.

Waste Disposal

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many waste facilities regulated by the Environment Agency are in breach of their environmental permit conditions; and how many such waste facilities are currently subject to enforcement proceedings under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Dan Rogerson: From January to September 2013, 8,708 breaches of environmental permit conditions were identified by the Environment Agency at 3,049 waste management sites. Of these breaches, 582 were recorded as significant.
	Over the same period 79 formal enforcement proceedings were initiated under the 2010 regulations.
	Multiple permit breaches can be addressed by a single enforcement action. The Environment Agency may take other steps to bring a site into compliance, for example sending a warning letter, before resorting to formal enforcement proceedings.

Wind Power

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list by value the 10 largest recipients of grant to landowners for allowing the siting of wind turbines.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The Department does not pay grants to landowners for allowing the siting of wind turbines.

Wind Power

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list by value the 10 largest recipients of grant to wind turbine manufacturers.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The following grants were paid to wind turbine manufacturers between 2009 and 2012. This included funding directly delivered by DECC through the Environmental Transformation Fund, and delivered jointly with BIS through the Low Carbon Investment Fund.
	
		
			 Manufacturer Grant paid (£) Number of grants 
			 Siemens 4,720,012 2 
			 Vestas 4,700,000 2 
			 Clipper 300,000 (1)1 
		
	
	
		
			 Mitsubishi 284,421.07 1 
			 (1 )The Clipper project did not go ahead and DECC recovered the £300,000 paid

Wines: South East

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) funding and (b) marketing support the Government provides to the sparkling wine growing industry in the south east.

George Eustice: The United Kingdom uses its annual support provided under Council Regulation (EC) 1234/07 (€280,000) for its wine and sparkling wine sector in two areas:
	We allocate €120,000 (approx. £100,000) annually to the single payment scheme (SPS) to give all vineyards the ability to benefit from payments under this programme.
	The remaining amount is transferred annually to the Rural Development Programme. This has enabled, inter alia, the development of a dedicated wine sector training programme (Wineskills) which provides advice on aspects of brand building, marketing and exporting.
	We have recently secured places for two wine producers to represent UK wine producers on an EU speciality food trade mission to Japan and South Korea in November. Our sparkling wine producers are already starting to exploit both markets and our attendance on this mission will help to boost our trade links further with this region.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Society Capital

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what value of (a) unsecured and (b) secured loans Big Society Capital has (i) committed to make and (ii) paid out in 2012-13; and what value it estimates of (A) unsecured and (B) secured loans it will (1) commit to make and (2) pay out in (aa) 2013-14, (bb) 2014-15 and (cc) 2015-16; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many unsecured loans Big Society Capital has (a) committed to make and (b) paid in 2012-13; and how many such loans it estimates it will (i) commit to paying and (ii) pay out in (A) 2013-14, (B) 2014-15 and (C) 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: Big Society Capital (BSC) is an independent (private sector) company limited by shares. It is governed by the Big Society Trust. Government does not regulate BSC's investment decisions, and so cannot detail its planned investment commitments.
	Details of BSC's funding and expenditure can be found in its first annual report. This report set out that £56 million had been committed by BSC in 2012 with the aim to make a further £75 million to £100 million worth of commitments in 2013.
	http://bigsocietycapitalblog.com/2013/05/10/big-society-capital-launches-its-first-annual-report/
	In May, BSC announced that it is working with a number of intermediaries to get more unsecured lending facilities for social sector organisations.

Drugs: Misuse

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people died as a result of legal highs obtained from (a) tramadol and (b) mephedrone in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated October 2013
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many people died as a result of legal highs obtained from (a) tramadol and (b) mephedrone in the latest period for which figures are available (170762).
	There is no official definition of the term ‘legal high’. However the Office for National Statistics does monitor deaths from drug-related poisoning, allowing analysis of deaths by specific substances involved.
	The table provides the number of drug-related deaths mentioning either tramadol or mephedrone in England and Wales, for deaths registered in 2012 (the latest year available). Please note that more than 60% of these deaths mentioned more than one substance on the death certificate and it is not possible to tell which was primarily responsible for the death. More information on how to interpret data on drug-related deaths can be found in the relevant bulletins on the ONS website.
	The number of drug-related deaths registered in England and Wales between 1993 and 2012 are available on the ONS website:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/index.html
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of drug-related deaths where tramadol or mephedrone were mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, deaths registered in 2012(1,2,3,4) 
			 Substance Deaths 
			 Tramadol 175 
			 Mephedrone 12 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes shown in Box 1. (2 )Deaths were included where the underlying cause was drug-related, and where either tramadol and/or mephedrone were mentioned on the death certificate. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in 2012. Due to the length of time it takes to hold an inquest, it can take months for a drug-related death to be registered in England and Wales. Additional information on registration delays for drug-related deaths can be found in the annual statistical bulletin: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/index.html 
		
	
	
		
			 Box 1: ICD-10 codes used to define deaths related to drug poisoning  
			 Description ICD 10 Codes 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use (excluding alcohol and tobacco) F11-F16, F18-F19 
			 Accidental poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X40-X44 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X60-X64 
			 Assault by drugs, medicaments and biological substances X85 
			 Poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances, undetermined intent Y10-Y14

Employment: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in each (a) county and (b) constituency in North Wales in the (i) 2001 and (ii) 2011 Census figures.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many people were employed in each (a) county and (b) constituency in North Wales in the (i) 2001 and (ii) 2011 Census figures. 170441.
	In 1996 all counties in Wales became unitary authorities. I have included an extract from 2001 Census table KS12(a) which shows all people aged 16-74 in employment for the Unitary Authorities and Parliamentary Constituencies of:
	
		
			 2001 Unitary authorities 2001 Westminster parliamentary constituencies (June 2001) 
			 Conwy Alyn and Deeside 
			 Denbighshire Caernarfon 
			 Flintshire Clwyd South 
			 Gwynedd Clwyd West 
			 Isle of Anglesey Conwy 
			 Wrexham Delyn 
			  Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon) 
			  Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 
			  Vale of Clwyd 
			  Wrexham 
		
	
	I have also included an extract from 2011 Census table KS608EW which shows all usual residents aged 16 to 74 in employment.
	
		
			 2011 Unitary authorities 2011 Westminster parliamentary constituencies (May 2010) 
			 Conwy Aberconwy 
			 Denbighshire Alyn and Deeside 
			 Flintshire Arfon 
			 Gwynedd Clwyd South 
			 Isle of Anglesey Clwyd West 
			 Wrexham Delyn 
			  Dwyfor Meirionnydd 
			  Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon) 
			  Vale of Clwyd 
			  Wrexham 
		
	
	The information for the 2001 Census for Parliamentary Constituencies is available to download from the Neighbourhood Statistics website. The 2011 Census information can be downloaded from the NOMIS website. Links to these are shown below:
	www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 2001 Parliamentary constituencies—North Wales 
			 North Wales parliamentary constituencies (June 2001), census 2001 
			  All people aged 16 to 74 in employment 
			 Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon) 26,167 
			 Wrexham 30,156 
			 Vale of Clwyd 27,646 
			 Clwyd South 31,851 
			 Clwyd West 27,575 
		
	
	
		
			 Delyn 31,746 
			 Conwy 28,167 
			 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 17,115 
			 Alyn and Deeside 37,706 
			 Caernarfon 24,296 
			 Source: 2001 Census Table KS12a—'Occupation (All people)'. 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 parliamentary constituencies—North Wales 
			  All people aged 16 to 74 in employment 
			 Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon) 30,431 
			 Wrexham 33,416 
			 Vale of Clwyd 30,060 
			 Clwyd South 33,757 
			 Clwyd West 32,187 
			 Delyn 32,954 
			 Aberconwy 25,443 
			 Dwyfor Meirionnydd 27,444 
			 Alyn and Deeside 41,095 
			 Arfon 26,517 
		
	
	
		
			 2001—Unitary authorities—North Wales 
			 Local authority name—North Wales All people aged 16 to 74 in employment (count persons data value) 
			 Isle of Anglesey 26,167 
			 Gwynedd 46,911 
			 Conwy 43,731 
			 Denbighshire 38,277 
			 Flintshire 69,452 
			 Wrexham 57,080 
			 Note: Local authorities are known as unitary authorities in Wales. Source: 2001 Census Table KSl2a—'Occupation (All people)'. 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 Unitary authorities—North Wales 
			 Population: All usual residents aged 16 to 74 in employment the week before the census, C Sex: All persons 
			 Local authority name All usual residents aged 16 to 74 in employment (count persons data value) 
			 Isle of Anglesey 30,431 
			 Gwynedd 53,961 
			 Conwy 50,093 
			 Denbighshire 41,156 
			 Flintshire 74,049 
			 Wrexham 63,614 
			 Note: Local authorities are known as unitary authorities in Wales. Source: 2011 Census Table KS608EW—'Occupation by Sex'.

Energy

Frank Dobson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been invested in new (a) nuclear, (b) gas, (c) coal and (d) oil fuelled generating plant in each year since 2010-11.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Director, Chief Economic Advisor, dated October 2013
	On behalf of the Director General of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your question: how much has been invested in new (a) nuclear, (b) gas, (c) coal and (d) oil fuelled generating plants in each year since 2010-11.
	The Office for National Statistics does not collect data on investment in individual types of electricity generating stations. However, Table 1 shows estimates for the total (net) capital expenditure on plant and machinery by the electricity power generation, transmission and distribution industry, in current prices, for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. This industry includes nuclear, gas, coal and oil fuelled generating plants.
	
		
			 Table 1: Estimate of net capital investment in plant and machinery, by the electric power generation and transmission and distribution industry 
			  Current prices (£ million) 
			 2010 3,425 
			 2011 2,117 
			 2012 2,894 
			 Source: ONS, Quarterly Survey on Capital Expenditure

Private Rented Housing: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) Wales live in private rented accommodation.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Director, Chief Economic Advisor, dated October 2013
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) Wales live in private rented accommodation. 169791
	The figures below have been extracted from 2011 Census table QS403EW, which show all usual residents in households by tenure.
	
		
			 Tenure Wrexham parliamentary constituency Wales 
			 All categories 69,557 3,011,182 
			 Private rented 9,507 426,107 
		
	
	Private rented includes:
	Private landlord or letting agency
	Employer of a household member
	Relative or friend of household
	This information is also available for download from the NOMIS website at:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Francis Maude: After the last general election, the Government comprehensively reformed the civil service compensation scheme, ensuring significant savings for taxpayers. We now expect most compensation payments to be recovered within a year. Compensation payments should be seen in the context of the £2.2 billion we saved the taxpayer last year alone as a result of a 15% reduction in the size of the civil service since 2010.
	Information on redundancies and other paid departures are published each year in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office/series/cabinet-office-annual-reports-and-accounts
	The Annual Report and Accounts of the Government Procurement Service and the Big Lottery Fund are available at:
	http://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-government-procurement-service/annual-report-and-accounts
	and
	http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/our-approach/corporate-documents
	Complete information on payments in lieu of notice relating to redundancies in the Cabinet Office is not held centrally.

Third Sector: Training

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Big Society community organisers have been trained to date; and at what cost.

Nick Hurd: The total number of Community Organisers trained to date is 1,536. This includes 346 senior Community Organisers.
	The Community Organisers programme costs are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13 at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225980/HC_15.pdf

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales;
	(2)  whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office manages the GOV.UK website, through which UK citizens can access Government information and digital services. The site links to all Welsh-language Government transactions via:
	https://www.gov.uk/cymraeg
	and has Welsh-language content for a number of commonly-used services, such as information on car tax and bank holidays. The site gives Government Departments the ability to publish Welsh-language content in line with the requirements of their individual Welsh language schemes.
	The Cabinet Office does not yet have a Welsh language scheme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Agricultural Machinery: Theft

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the cost of theft of farming equipment from farm premises was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what her Department is doing to assist farmers prevent the theft of property and equipment from their premises.

Norman Baker: The Home Office has not made an assessment of the cost of theft of farming equipment from farm premises. Tackling the theft of agricultural equipment is primarily a matter for police forces, working with the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU). PANIU is a specialist police unit whose primary aim is to reduce plant and agricultural theft across the United Kingdom. It monitors machinery theft from both the construction and farming industries, researches trends and threats, and helps individual police forces to identify stolen equipment and tackle the criminals responsible.
	The National Crime Agency will also ensure that partners across the law enforcement community with a role in countering theft of agricultural vehicles and equipment benefits from its coordination, tasking and intelligence arrangements, in particular where this links to serious and organised crime.

Antisocial Behaviour: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were arrested and charged by Merseyside police for anti-social behaviour offences from 2003 to the latest year for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: I regret that the information requested is not available.
	Arrests data are reported to the Home Office on the basis of aggregated offence groupings. From these centrally reported groupings it is not possible to separately identify offences related to antisocial behaviour.
	Data on charges are not held centrally.

Asylum: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have been receiving that support for more than (a) two, (b) four and (c) six years; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 8 October 2013
	Section 4 support is provided only to a limited group of failed asylum seekers who have chosen not to leave the United Kingdom. These include cases where the person is applying for a passport from their national embassy to facilitate their return to their country of origin and cases where the person has made further representations to be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom (despite already having received a negative decision).
	The data requested are set out in the following table. The data are taken from management information systems and are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols; it would be hard to reconcile these data precisely to other published numbers.
	
		
			 Duration Cases (number) 
			 0 to 2 years 1,876 
			 2 to 4 years 773 
			 4 to 6 years 455 
			 6+ years 205 
			 Total 3,309

Burglary: West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries have been committed in the West Midlands in each of the last three years.

Norman Baker: The data provided relate to all burglary offences committed in the west midlands region in the last three years. They include both domestic and non-domestic burglaries, and are taken from Home Office Police Recorded Crime data. The data show the number of burglaries for each police force area, as well as the overall total for the region.
	I am pleased to note that the number of burglaries has fallen in each year.
	
		
			 Burglaries (domestic and non-domestic) recorded by the police in the west midlands police force area 
			 Number 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Staffordshire 7,922 7,509 6,854 
			 Warwickshire 5,319 5,576 4,437 
			 West Mercia 9,499 8,417 7,851 
			 West Midlands 32,792 28,170 24,621 
			 Total 55,532 49,672 43,763

Crime: Nature Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking in conjunction with the devolved administrations and police forces to tackle crime in habitats affecting wildlife in the UK.

Norman Baker: The National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) leads on tackling wildlife crime in the UK. Every six months the NWCU produces a tactical assessment of wildlife crime in the UK. The tactical assessment is based upon scientific advice and intelligence from the police and other agencies (including Border Force) and uses a risk based approach to identify current, emerging and future threats. The tactical assessment is considered by the UK Tasking and Coordinating Group, which includes the Home Office, devolved Administrations and other agencies.

Crime: Nature Conservation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department is providing to police forces and specialist units for tackling crime in habitats affecting wildlife in the UK in (a) 2013-14 and (b) each of the next two financial years.

Norman Baker: The Home Office is providing specific funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit of £136,000 for 2013-14. No decisions have so far been taken in relation to funding in 2014-15, or 2015-16.
	Total central Government funding to the police in England and Wales in 2013-14 is over £8.7 billion, demonstrating the Government’s continued commitment to protecting the public and tackling all types of crime. In addition, the police continue to receive around a quarter of their total funding from the police precept component of council tax.

Entry Clearances: Africa

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what efforts are made by High Commission staff in Tanzania and Kenya to determine the urgency of individual applications for visitor visas to the UK; and what arrangements are in place in the UK High Commissions in Kenya and Tanzania to expedite applications for visitor visas to the UK deemed to be urgent;
	(2)  what the target waiting times for processing visitor visa applications for Tanzanian citizens wishing to enter the UK are; and what proportion of applications from Tanzania have been processed within the target times in the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: holding answer 4 September 2013
	Visa applications are considered by entry clearance officers in Nairobi. If the applicant considers their visa application to be urgent, they are able to apply for the premium service to expedite consideration. Otherwise all applications are considered in line with our published customer service standards.
	Since 1 July 2013 Tanzanian visit visa applicants have been able to use a priority visa service (PVS). The PVS is available to applicants who pay an additional fee to have their visa application placed at the front of the queue. PVS applications are usually decided within three to five working days.
	The current customer service targets for visit visa applications are to process 90% of non-settlement applications within 15 working days, 98% within 30 working days and 100% within 60 working days of the application date.
	Between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013, 4,242 visit visa applications were made by Tanzanian nationals at the visa application centre in the high commission in Dar es Salaam. 86% of these applications were processed within 15 working days, 100% were processed within 30 working days. On average, a visit visa application made by a Tanzanian national at the visa application centre in the high commission in Dar es Salaam took 8.8 working days to be processed between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what charges are levied for visitor visas on (a) UK passport holders entering each Commonwealth country imposing such a charge and (b) residents of such Commonwealth countries who enter the UK.

Mark Harper: holding answer 8 October 2013
	The UK does not levy charges for visitor visas on UK passport holders entering Commonwealth countries. The Home Office does not hold information on visa charges levied by Commonwealth governments for UK passport holders entering Commonwealth countries.
	For residents of Commonwealth countries who require a visa to enter the UK, the price is £80 for a short-term visit visa, allowing multiple entries within a six-month period.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which education institutions sponsoring non-EEA students under Tier 4 of the points-based system have yet to obtain Highly Trusted status.

Mark Harper: holding answer 10 September 2013
	The following table shows the names of the 207 education institutions that have yet to obtain Highly Trusted Sponsor status.
	
		
			 Table 1: Tier 4 Sponsors yet to obtain Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) status 
			  Sponsor Name 
			 1 14 Stars (London) Ltd t/a European College for Higher Education 
			 2 Abbot's Hill School 
			 3 Access College London 
			 4 Acorn Care and Education Limited 
			 5 Adam Smith College 
			 6 Alpha Business School 
			 7 Alpha Schools Limited 
			 8 Alton College 
			 9 Amersham and Wycombe College 
			 10 Anglo Skills College 
			 11 Appleford School 
			 12 Auckland College 
			 13 Avanti Schools Trust 
			 14 Aylesbury College 
			 15 Ballard School 
			 16 Bedford College 
			 17 Bedfordian Business School 
			 18 Bedfordshire Educational Academy 
			 19 Bells College 
			 20 Beth Yaakov Seminary for Girls 
			 21 BeyondAutism 
			 22 Birmingham Informatics College Ltd. 
			 23 Birmingham Management Training College 
			 24 Bishop Grosseteste University 
			 25 Bolton College 
			 26 Brit College 
			 27 Britain College 
			 28 BSGS College 
			 29 Cambridge Performing Arts 
			 30 Campbell Harris 
			 31 Canterbury Steiner School 
			 32 Castle Court School 
		
	
	
		
			 33 Castle School Pembrokeshire Ltd 
			 34 CCP Group 
			 35 Cedar House School 
			 36 Central College of Studies 
			 37 Centre Academy London 
			 38 Centre for Teaching in Management Ltd. 
			 39 City College Brighton and Hove 
			 40 City Community College 
			 41 City of Sunderland College 
			 42 Coleg Llanymddyfri Cymru 
			 43 Coleg Morgannwg 
			 44 College of IT and Ecommerce Ltd 
			 45 College of North West London 
			 46 Compas College 
			 47 Craigholme School 
			 48 Croydon College 
			 49 Croydon Metropolitan College 
			 50 Didac schools Ltd 
			 51 Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts 
			 52 Eagle House Group 
			 53 Easton College 
			 54 EC English Bristol Ltd 
			 55 Eden College International 
			 56 Edgbaston High School 
			 57 EF Language Schools Ltd 
			 58 ELAS UK Ltd 
			 59 ELC York a trading name of English Language Centre, York 
			 60 Emerson College Trust Ltd 
			 61 Empress College of London 
			 62 Enhanced Care Training 
			 63 Essex College of Management and Sciences 
			 64 Eternity College Ltd 
			 65 European School of Economics International Ltd 
			 66 European School of Osteopathy 
			 67 Farleigh Further Education College 
			 68 Fine Arts College 
			 69 Frances King School of English 
			 70 Future Training College 
			 71 Futures College Ltd 
			 72 Gateshead Jewish Academy for Girls (also known as Beis Chaya Rochel) 
			 73 Georgetown University (USA) UK Initiatives Organisation 
			 74 Global Banking School 
			 75 Global Vision College 
			 76 Goldsmith IBS Limited (Goldsmith International Business School)' 
			 77 Grange Park Prep School 
			 78 Greenwich Community College 
			 79 Hanford School 
			 80 Hartlepool College of Further Education 
			 81 Henley College Coventry 
			 82 Herefordshire College of Technology 
			 83 Holy Trinity International School 
			 84 Howell's School Llandaff 
			 85 Hutchesons' Educational Trust 
			 86 Hymers College 
			 87 Institute of Business and Management Ltd 
			 88 Institute of Islamic Education (Madrasa Taleem Ul Islam) 
			 89 Interlink College of Technology and Bus.Studies 
			 90 International House Belfast 
			 91 ISE Hove 
			 92 Isle of Wight College 
			 93 Jak(Leics)Ltd T/A East Midlands School of Business and Management 
			 94 Jamea al Kauthar 
			 95 JFC Training College Ltd 
		
	
	
		
			 96 Jigsaw Trust 
			 97 K College 
			 98 Kadampa School Project 
			 99 KBM London School of Accountancy and Business Studies 
			 100 Keele University International Study Centre 
			 101 Kennedy Independent School Trust Ltd 
			 102 Kimberly College Limited 
			 103 King Edward VI College 
			 104 King Henry VIII School 
			 105 Kingsfold Christian School 
			 106 Knighton House School 
			 107 Language Link London Ltd. 
			 108 Leicester International College—UK 
			 109 Leicester Montessori Sixth Form College 
			 110 Lingield Notre Dame 
			 111 Liral Veget College London 
			 112 London College of Business Management Limited 
			 113 London College of Management and Computer Sciences 
			 114 London Electronics College 
			 115 London Learning Centre 
			 116 London Metrocity College 
			 117 London Metropolitan University 
			 118 London School of Law 
			 119 London School of Management Education 
			 120 London State College Limited 
			 121 Manchester Central School Of English 
			 122 Manchester College of Engineering And Technology 
			 123 Man Chester Victoria College 
			 124 Meridian Business School Ltd 
			 125 Middlesex International College 
			 126 Midlands Academy of Business and Technology 
			 127 Midlands Business' Management College ~ 
			 128 Motor Industry Training 
			 129 Nelson College London 
			 130 Newcastle upon Tyne Church High School 
			 131 Nexus Trust 
			 132 North London College 
			 133 Northern Regional College 
			 134 Northern School of Contemporary Dance 
			 135 Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College 
			 136 Old Palace of John Whitgift School 
			 137 Pinnacle College London 
			 138 Purley Language College 
			 139 Queensway College (Trading name of BD Dreams Limited) 
			 140 Ray Cochrane Beauty School 
			 141 Reaseheath College 
			 142 Redcliffe College 
			 143 Regents Theological College 
			 144 Reigate Grammar School 
			 145 Ripon College Cuddesdon 
			 146 Rockport School 
			 147 Royal Agricultural University 
			 148 Royal Holloway, University of London International Study Centre 
			 149 School of Computing and Business Studies 
			 150 Select Global Learning Limited t/a Select International College Ltd 
			 151 Seven Hills Educational Trust 
			 152 Somerset College 
			 153 South and City College Birmingham 
			 154 South Chelsea International College Ltd. 
			 155 South Devon College 
			 156 South Gloucestershire and Stroud College 
			 157 South Quay College 
			 158 South West College 
			 159 South Worcestershire College 
			 160 St Hilary's School Trust Ltd 
		
	
	
		
			 161 St Mary's College 
			 162 St Stephen's College ( UK ) Ltd 
			 163 St Vincent College 
			 164 St. Albans College Limited 
			 165 St. Crispin's School (Leicester Ltd) 
			 166 St. John's School and College 
			 167 St. Nicholas Publications Ltd t/a St. Nicholas College of London 
			 168 Stanley College London UK Ltd 
			 169 Stoodley Knowle School 
			 170 Stow College 
			 171 Susi Earnshaw Theatre School 
			 172 Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School 
			 173 Sylvia Young Theatre School 
			 174 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust 
			 175 The Canning School Ltd (T/A Canning) 
			 176 The Centre for Homoeopathic Education 
			 177 The Claremont Fan Court Foundation Limited 
			 178 The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London" 
			 179 The London Oriental Academy 
			 180 The Mount School (York) 
			 181 The National Autistic Society 
			 182 The Oxford School of Drama 
			 183 The Portsmouth Grammar School 
			 184 The Royal School 
			 185 The TTE Technical Training Group 
			 186 The Urdang Academy 
			 187 Titan Partnership Ltd 
			 188 TLI Ltd. 
			 189 Totton College 
			 190 Treloar School 
			 191 Trinity College Ltd. 
			 192 UK Business Academy 
			 193 UK Business College 
			 194 United International College 
			 195 University of Lincoln International Study Centre 
			 196 UR Beauty and Make-up LLP ta London School of Beauty and Make-Up 
			 197 Vernon Community College 
			 198 Wales Evangelical School of Theology 
			 199 Warnborough College 
			 200 Wessex Institute of Technology 
			 201 West Cheshire College 
			 202 West City College Ltd 
			 203 West Lothian College 
			 204 West Midlands Eurythmy Association 
			 205 West Thames College 
			 206 Wisbech Grammar School 
			 207 Zaskin College 
			 Notes: 1. The list of organisation names was derived from published register of Tier 4 sponsors on 9 September 2013. 2. The register of Tier 4 sponsors is updated daily and is subject to change. Its accuracy can only be assured at the time of production. 3. The full register of Tier 4 sponsors (approved education providers) is available at the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/points/sponsoringmigrants/registerofsponsors/

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on measures to enable international students to obtain visas that allow them to stay longer than the duration of their studies.

Mark Harper: The UK is keen to attract the brightest and best international talent and has a highly competitive offer for international students who wish to remain in the UK after their studies. Those who obtain a graduate level job earning at least £20,300 can remain on a work visa under Tier 2 of the Points Based System.
	There is no limit on these places, which are exempt from the cap on economic migrants. Students completing a PhD or other doctoral qualification at a UK university can stay for a year on the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme to gain experience in their chosen field. Graduates who wish to stay to develop a business idea can do so under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur scheme, the first in the world of its kind. In April this year, we doubled the number of places on the Graduate Entrepreneur scheme, creating an additional 1,000 new places for those who have completed an MBA in the UK or abroad. From October, we will also allow students completing their degree to take up corporate internships in Tier 5, which can also be used to complete periods of professional training.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on measures which enable international students to obtain visas which allow them to remain in Scotland beyond the duration of their studies for the purpose of gaining experience in employment related to their course of study.

Mark Harper: The UK is keen to attract the brightest and best international talent and has a highly competitive offer for international students who wish to remain in the UK after their studies. From October, new arrangements will enable non-EEA students who graduate in the UK to extend their stay under tier 5 of the points-based system in order to take up corporate internships, including to complete periods of professional training. In addition, the Immigration Rules already provide for non-EEA nationals who complete their studies in the UK and who are offered graduate-level employment earning at least £20,300 to extend their stay under tier 2 of the points-based system without being subject to the limit on numbers of tier 2 migrants. Students completing a PhD or other doctoral qualification at a UK university can also extend their stay for a year under the tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme to gain experience in their chosen field. Graduates who wish to stay to develop a business idea can do so under the tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur scheme, the first in the world of its kind. Immigration is a reserved matter and the Immigration Rules apply to the whole of the UK.

Foreign Nationals: Health Services

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if her Department will take steps to ensure that overseas visitors who are liable to pay for NHS treatment are made aware of this before they travel to the UK; and if it will encourage applicants for UK visas to take out health insurance.

Mark Harper: The Home Office general visitor application form, VAF1A December 2012, contains a declaration which is signed by the applicant. The declaration includes the statement
	“I am aware that I may be billed for any medical treatment undertaken in the UK...”.
	Other visitor application forms for family visitors and business visitors contain the same declaration. The Home Office website also advises applicants that
	“if you are not in one of the categories that can receive free treatment, you may be asked to pay for any hospital treatment you receive. You may therefore wish to ensure that you have health insurance to cover your, stay in the UK.”
	Overseas visitors from visa countries are accordingly aware that they may be liable to pay for their NHS treatment.
	The Home Office has recently concluded a public consultation on measures to better regulate migrant access to the NHS, including proposals regarding health insurance, and is currently considering the responses received.

Human Trafficking: Greater London

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of human trafficking were recorded in the (a) Metropolitan Police District and (b) City of London in each of the last four years; what the nationality was of each of the trafficked victims found during this period; and what type of human trafficking was involved in each such case.

Mark Harper: The Home Office does not collate such data centrally. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recorded 673 offences of human trafficking arising from organised criminality between 2009 and 2013, as set out in the tables provided below. The City of London Police recorded no offences of human trafficking between 2009 and 2013.
	
		
			 Data provided by the Metropolitan Police—Offences of Human Trafficking Recorded (FY 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 to September) 
			  Financial year  
			 Offence Expansion 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 (to September) Grand total 
			 Knowingly holding another person in slavery or servitude 0 0 6 3 0 9 
			 Trafficking Into the UK for Sexual Exploitation 34 42 35 35 21 167 
			 Trafficking Out of the UK for Sexual Exploitation 0 1 2 1 1 5 
			 Trafficking People Into the UK for the Purpose of Exploitation 13 23 29 403 8 476 
			 Trafficking People Within the UK for the Purpose of Exploitation 1 0 0 3 1 5 
			 Trafficking Within the UK for Sexual Exploitation 2 2 1 4 2 11 
		
	
	
		
			 Grand Total 50 66 73 449 33 673 
			 Note: Police forces in the United Kingdom are routinely required to provide crime statistics to Government bodies and the recording criteria is set nationally. However, the systems used for recording these figures are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the crime data. It should be noted that for these reasons this force's response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other response you may receive. 
		
	
	
		
			 Data provided by the Metropolitan Police—Victims of Human Trafficking Offences Recorded by Nationality, (FY 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 to September) 
			   Financial year  
			 Offence Expansion Victim nationality 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 (to September) Grand total 
			 Knowingly holding another person in slavery or servitude Not recorded 0 0 4 1 0 5 
			  Kenya 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			  Morocco 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			  Nigeria 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			  Pakistan 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			         
			 Trafficking Into the UK for Sexual Exploitation Not recorded 7 15 12 19 8 61 
			  Albania 4 1 2 3 1 11 
			  Bolivia 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  Bulgaria 1 0 1 1. 2 5 
			  Cameroon 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			  Chile 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  China (People's Rep. of) 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			  Czech Republic 0 1 0 0 3 4 
			  Estonia 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			  Gambia 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			  Germany 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  Ghana 1 0 1 0 0 2 
			  Guinea 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  Hungary 10 0 0 3 1 14 
			  Latvia 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			  Lithuania 2 2 0 0 1 5 
			  Moldova 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			  Nigeria 4 4 6 3 1 18 
			  Poland 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			  Romania 7 5 2 5 2 21 
			  Russia 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			  Sierra Leone 1 1 1 0 0 3 
			  Slovakia 0 2 0 0 0 2 
			  Thailand 0 1 1 0 0 2 
			  Uganda 0 1 2 0 0 3 
			  United Kingdom 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			  Vietnam 0 1 1 1 0 3 
			  Zambia 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			  Not recorded 0 0 2 0 0 2 
			         
			 Trafficking Out of the UK for Sexual Exploitation China (People's Rep. of) 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			  Nigeria 0 1 0 1 0 2 
			         
			 Trafficking Within the UK for Sexual Exploitation Not recorded 0 1 0 4 1 6 
			  Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			  Nigeria 0 1 0 0 0 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Romania 1 0 1 0 0 2 
			  Stateless/no country 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Grand total  45 44 40 43 24 196 
		
	
	Note:
	These tables show the total number of the listed offences of human trafficking recorded by the MPS and, separately, an overview of the nationality of the victims associated with such offences. It should be noted that the statistical discrepancy between the two totals is a result of an international policing operation which identified a high volume of offences in the 2012-13 year, as listed under two Crime Records. As a consequence, the high numbers of victims identified by MPS were, with the authority of the Crime Force Registrar, not recorded under usual procedures but instead listed along with the details of separate investigation reports, so would require significant further analysis by MPS to report. In addition, the nationality of victims was not recorded in all cases by MPS, for a variety of operational reasons.

Immigration

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks and safeguards are in place to ensure that all UK Border Agency staff give consistent advice to those applying for leave to remain in the UK.

Mark Harper: holding answer 8 October 2013
	There are three primary routes for advice—help lines, website and public enquiry offices. Consistency comes from the overarching policy frameworks, from which customer advice is given, and that advice is further checked by quality sampling, audits and reviews of policy and website content. All policy exceptions are also referred to senior caseworkers for clarification or approval. Customer feedback, including complaints, also provides a valuable measure of the consistency and quality of advice provided to customers by UK Visas and Immigration and any commercial partners.

Joint Investigation Teams

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many joint investigation teams the UK has been involved in for each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 September 2013
	Central records on the UK's participation in Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) with other EU member states have only been held since October 2010, at which point member states were obliged to notify their national representatives at Eurojust, the EU Judicial Co-operation Agency, when setting up a JIT. Consequently, the figures for 2009 and 2010 may not represent the total number of JITs the UK was involved in, but instead they provide a minimum number. Information provided by Eurojust indicates that the number of Joint Investigation Teams commenced in each of the last five calendar years involving UK authorities is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2009 2 
			 2010 2 
			 2011 8 
			 2012 11 
			 2013 (1)12 
			 (1) JITS commenced as of 10 September 2013. 
		
	
	There are no central records for UK involvement in JITs with non-EU member states.

Knives: Crime

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of sentencing options for those convicted of knife crime.

Jeremy Wright: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	The Government is sending a clear and unequivocal message that those who use a knife or offensive weapon to threaten another person and cause an immediate risk of serious physical harm to that other person that they are behaving in a wholly unacceptable manner and can expect a custodial sentence.
	In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013, the Government introduced the new offence of threatening and endangering someone with a knife in a public place or a school which came into force on 3 December 2012.
	The Government is already considering whether there is a case for further changes to be made to the sentencing framework for knife possession as part of the knife sentencing review. We have already made it clear that we will be ensuring that cautions cannot be given for knife possession except, in exceptional circumstances. Any changes we make to the sentencing framework will be brought forward in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 8 August 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr Odi Harrison.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 11 September 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter to her dated 6 August 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Ms J. A. Neale.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 17 September 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 8 August 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr A. A. Gbadegesin.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 7 October 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 8 August 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr A. Rahman.

Mark Harper: My noble Friend (Lord Taylor of Holbeach), Minister for Criminal Information, replied on my behalf on 21 September 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter to the Minister for Immigration dated 15 July 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Mr M. Ax.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 17 September 2013.

Passports

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend current legislation covering passports to allow for the names of parents and legal guardians to be included on children's passports.

Mark Harper: There are no plans to include the names of parents or legal guardians in a child's passport. The inclusion of parental responsibility details in the passport would not reduce the requirement for border staff to be satisfied with the relationship between the accompanying adult and the child. The inclusion of parental details in the child's passport would only reflect the information provided at the time of the issuing of the passport. Border Force staff would still need to determine whether an entry in the child's passport remained relevant at the time of travel and establish the accompanying adult's relationship with the child. Further advice on travelling with children (under 18 years of age) can be found at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/child-travel-advice/

Radioactive Materials: Monitoring

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the Cyclamen nuclear monitoring system is in operation at any UK ports;
	(2)  whether a contract has been signed with a company allowing them to take on the operation of the Cyclamen nuclear monitoring system.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 September 2013
	Cyclamen is operated by Border Force officers and is in operation within UK ports. In exceptional circumstances, eg during critical incidents, the existing contract with Serco makes provision for the use of appropriately qualified and security cleared contractual staff.

UK Visas and Immigration

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will arrange for the hon. Member for Walsall North to receive a reply to her letter of 23 July 2013 to the interim Director General of UK Visas and Immigration on behalf of a constituent, CTS ref M01314/13; and what the reason is for the length of time taken to reply.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 September 2013
	The director of UK Visas and Immigration replied on 6 September 2013. We aim to answer letters from hon. Members within the agreed Cabinet Office standard of 20 working days. This target was not met due to the director requesting the initial draft be reworded to be more helpful to the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham, of 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 982W, on Afghanistan, what the process is for notifying (a) his Department and (b) the Afghan Government where (i) injuries and (ii) fatalities occur from UK unmanned aerial vehicle strikes in Afghanistan. [R]

Mark Francois: ISAF forces go to great lengths to minimise the risk of civilian casualties arising from their operations in Afghanistan.
	The process for notifying the Afghan authorities of such an incident will vary in practice depending on the circumstances and context. The Ministry of Defence would be notified through normal operational reporting channels.

Afghanistan

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2013, Official Report, column 480W, on Afghanistan, whether (a) the North Atlantic Council review of the practical implications of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for the conduct of NATO-led operations and (b) the implementation plan of that review will be made public.

Mark Francois: holding answer 10 October 2013
	The North Atlantic Council review will be released to the public in both a full and summary version shortly after the NATO Defence Ministers meeting on 22 and 23 October 2013. NATO has yet to make a decision on whether the implementation plan will also be released but it is likely that this will be resolved ahead of the Defence Minister's meeting.

Afghanistan

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of additional security measures which were given consideration but not adopted at Camp Bastion before September 2012;
	(2)  what the annual running cost of providing security at Camp Bastion has been in each year since 2010;
	(3)  what additional expenditure his Department has incurred on increased security measures at Camp Bastion since September 2012;
	(4)  what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department had with military leaders responsible for security at Camp Bastion on security measures at the base prior to the attack of 14 September 2012;
	(5)  what changes have been made to the security arrangements at the Camp Bastion base since the attack on the night of 14 September 2012;
	(6)  how many and what proportion of the guard towers at Camp Bastion were empty on the night of 14 September 2012 immediately prior to the attack on the base;
	(7)  what internal investigations his Department will be undertaking regarding the actions of British officers responsible for security at Camp Bastion on the attack on the base on the night of 14 September 2012;
	(8)  how many of the British officers responsible for security at Camp Bastion in September 2012 have since been promoted;
	(9)  if he will provide details of the current security measures at Camp Bastion.

Mark Francois: The Chief of Defence Staff is currently reviewing the findings of the U.S. report on the review of security at Camp Bastion. Once this is complete, I will write to the hon. Member with the information he has requested.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department commissioned the report on the implications for the current attitudes to risk of the Joint Operational Concept; what the cost of this study was; what plans were made to release the report publicly; and what plans he has to make use of its findings.

Mark Francois: The paper on “The Implications of Current Attitudes to Risk for the Joint Operational Concept” produced by the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) was the product of conceptual research to inform the development of the Joint Operating Concept (JOC). The JOC was subsequently re-titled the Defence Joint Operating Concept (DJOC).
	The research commenced in May 2012 and was completed on 24 August 2012.
	Two analysts worked on the project, for a total of approximately 60 working hours, during that period. There were no additional costs.
	The work was never intended for publication but rather to be used, as many other conceptual papers are, as an internal think piece, on this occasion in support of the development of the JOC. A key purpose of the DCDC is to produce research which tests and challenges established doctrine; its papers are designed to stimulate internal debate not outline Government policy or positions. As a learning organisation, it is important that DCDC is able to challenge existing thinking to meet the threats that the future may present.
	We have no intention of using its findings beyond its original purpose.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army recruits who left before the end of their Phase 2 training enlisted at (a) age 16 and (b) age 17, in the five most recent full financial years for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The information held relates to those aged 16 and 17 on entry leaving service from the untrained strength, and is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Age at intake to untrained strength 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 16 years old 790 720 600 520 410 
			 17 years old 780 700 390 400 370 
			 Total 1570 1420 990 920 780 
		
	
	Figures are for untrained Regular Army outflow for other ranks only and therefore exclude officers, Gurkhas, full-time Reserve service, mobilised Reserves, TA and all other Reserves. Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not be the sum of their parts.

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department intends to make GCSE English and mathematics at grades A*-C a compulsory component of Phase 1 training for recruits at AFC Harrogate; what estimate his Department has made of the cost of doing so; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Recruits at Army Foundation College Harrogate access Functional Skills English and Maths support as required, to achieve a minimum of Level 1 (equivalent to GCSE D-G). Where appropriate, recruits work towards Level 2 qualifications. GCSE provision is not offered as a matter of course at AFC Harrogate. Functional skills English and Maths are regarded as effective stepping stones for progressing towards GCSE A*-C in these subjects.
	There are no current plans to replace functional skills awards as the measure of literacy and numeracy attainment or to mandate a GCSE English and Maths requirement for Army personnel, including those at AFC Harrogate.
	The Army has not carried out an estimate of the cost of a wholesale adoption of GCSE English and Maths at AFC Harrogate.

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of army recruits who dropped out of training before the end of Phase 2 had GCSEs at grades D-G in (a) English and (b) mathematics in the five most recent full financial years for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The proportion of those discharged from service for any reason prior to completion of Phase 2 training who had GCSE at grades D-G in English and Mathematics is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 2008-09 31 
			 2009-10 29 
			 2010-11 31 
			 2011-12 34 
			 2012-13 33

Armed Forces: Qualifications

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of army recruits who dropped out of training before the end of Phase 2 had GCSEs at Grades A*-C in (a) English and (b) mathematics in the five most recent full financial years for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The proportion of those discharged from service for any reason prior to completion of Phase 2 training who had GCSE at grades A*-C in English and Mathematics is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 2008-09 22 
			 2009-10 22 
			 2010-11 28 
			 2011-12 30 
			 2012-13 34

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 27W, on armed forces: sexual offences, for what reasons UK defence contractors supplying personnel for use in UK defence bases abroad are not prohibited from including in the contracts of those deployed in theatre a clause denying that right to report sexual offences; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not consider such a prohibition necessary because a clause in a contract of employment which denies the right to report a crime is completely contrary to UK public policy and is not deemed by the MOD to be likely to be enforceable.

Buildings

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who has owned the Drill Hall in Newport, Isle of Wight since it was constructed; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Department's records indicate that the Ministry of Defence has been the only owner of the Drill Hall.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions the in-house option has been exercised for contract renewal options for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in the last three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on how many occasions the in-house option has been exercised when considering contract renewal options for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: holding answers 9 and 10 October 2013
	The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has not exercised an in-house option when renewing a contract in the last three years.

Defence: Procurement

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details of the costs associated with the planning, discussion and scrutiny of the proposed GoCo to date; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Materiel Strategy programme is currently in the Assessment Phase and is considering two options, DE&S+ and a Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) model. The commercial competition is ongoing and the Ministry of Defence is evaluating outline proposals from the GOCO bidders and the DE&S+ team. A final decision on which option will be taken forward will be made in summer 2014 at the end of the commercial negotiation and Assessment Phase.
	The Concept Phase of the programme started in May 2011 and analysed a number of different operating models. It concluded with the approval of the Initial Gate Business Case in April 2013 and cost £12 million.

Devonport Dockyard and Clyde Naval Base

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvement notices have been issued by the Office for Nuclear Regulation at (a) Devonport Royal Dockyards and (b) HM Naval Base Clyde; and for what reason such notices were issued in each of the last five years.

Philip Dunne: The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has issued one improvement notice to Babcock, as the nuclear site licensee, in respect of Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd (DRDL) in the last five years. It was issued on 16 July 2013, following a number of events in which operations were not carried out in accordance with DRDL's health and safety operating instructions; and the statutory provisions of the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations. Although satisfied that this issue did not have an immediate impact on safety, and that DRDL had already taken action to remedy some of the problems, ONR's opinion was that an improvement notice was necessary to ensure that DRDL make the appropriate improvements to their arrangements by 31 March 2014. A programme of improvements is in place to meet this compliance deadline.
	Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is a nuclear authorised site which is regulated by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) and not the ONR. The ONR has therefore not issued any improvement notices to the base. Where necessary, the DNSR would be responsible for issuing safety improvement notices to HMNB Clyde; none have been issued in the last five years.

Energy

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what returns on investment his Department has achieved through energy saving policies to date.

Anna Soubry: The return on investment achieved by the Ministry of Defence through the Energy Spend to Save Programme is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Investment Savings 
			 2011-12 10 7 
			 2012-13 40 33 
			 2013-14 55 70 
			 2014-15 (projected) — 70 
			 Total 105 180 
		
	
	The Department expects to continue to save some £70 million annually as a result of this investment.
	Additionally, investment on energy saving measures outside of the Energy Spend to Save Programme is expected to provide a return of some £39 million per annum.

Historical Enquiries Team

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the relevance of unreleased historical documents relating to Northern Ireland held at Swadlincote to the work of the Historical Enquiries Team in investigating cases from the past; and whether he plans to release these records to the National Archive under the Public Records Act 1958.

Mark Francois: Unreleased Ministry of Defence (MOD) records held at the archive at Swadlincote are considered in a range of proceedings and investigations including support to the Historical Enquiries Team. MOD officials continue to work with the National Archives to determine which files should be selected for permanent preservation.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for training of F35 Joint Strike fighter pilots; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply given by my noble Friend, the Under-Secretary of State, Lord Astor of Hever, to the right hon. and noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, in the other place, on 30 July 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, columns WA263-64.

Jordan

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Moray, of 17 July 2013, Official Report, column 771W, on Jordan, in what capacity his Department's personnel are stationed in Jordan; and what the rank and role is of those personnel. [R]

Andrew Murrison: As of 9 Oct 2013 the Ministry of Defence personnel stationed in Jordan comprise:
	Five individuals in the Defence Section in the British embassy including the Defence Attaché, who is a Colonel, a Wing Commander, a Captain, a civilian and a Sergeant.
	The UK Loan Service team, who are paid for by Jordan to deliver training and capacity building. Its 21 members compromise a Colonel in command, a Lieutenant Colonel, two Wing Commanders, four Majors, one Squadron Leader, three Captains, one Flight Lieutenant and eight Warrant Officers.
	A Squadron Leader on exchange with the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
	A Squadron Leader and a Warrant Officer working in the Jordanian-led Joint Intelligence Support Element.
	A Lieutenant Colonel deployed with the US Central Command Forward (Jordan) as a liaison officer.

RAF Akrotiri

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets and how many personnel from Royal Airforce (RAF) Regiment 20 have been deployed to RAF Akrotiri.

Mark Francois: The 20 Wing RAF Regiment, more commonly known as the Defence Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Wing, deployed two personnel to RAF Akrotiri between 12 to 21 September 2013. A Royal Navy medical specialist was also deployed in support. No assets from the Regiment were deployed to RAF Akrotiri with these personnel.

Registered Visitors

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions Mr Oliver Waghorn has been registered as a visitor to his Department's main building since November 2011;
	(2)  on how many occasions Mr Luke Coffey has been registered as a visitor to his Department's main building since November 2011.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 8 October 2013
	Since November 2011, there is no record of Mr Waghorn having been registered as a visitor to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) main building, and Mr Luke Coffey has been registered as a visitor on three occasions. These were on 2 December 2011 for a meeting with the special advisor, on 23 January 2012 to meet staff in the Permanent Secretary's Office, and on 24 January 2012 for a personal meeting with an Army Officer.
	In addition, my private office records show both Mr Waghorn and Mr Coffey attended a meeting with me in my MOD office on 3 November 2011.

Turkey

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has discussed the acquisition, development and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles with his counterpart in Turkey. [R]

Mark Francois: No such discussions have taken place.

Type 26 Frigates

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has to introduce the Type 26 frigate as the replacement for the Type 23 frigate;
	(2)  what weapons systems are planned to be included in the Type 26 Global Combat Ship;
	(3)  what unmanned aircraft system and rotor systems are planned to be included in the Type 26 Global Combat Ship;
	(4)  how many Type 26 Global Combat ships are planned to be built; and when the first ceremonial cutting of metal will take place;
	(5)  when the Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be completed and come into service.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), on 24 May 2012, Official Report, column 833W, to my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis).
	The Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS) programme is currently in its Assessment Phase. As is the standard practice with equipment projects, the final design, equipment fit and build programme will not be set until the main investment decision has been taken, this is expected to be around the middle of this decade. The Ministry of Defence's current planning assumption is for the construction of 13 T26 GCS.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2013, Official Report, column 960W, on unmanned aerial vehicles, whether his Department has carried out training in unmanned aerial vehicles in conjunction with a European military within his Department's reserved airspace areas in the UK in each of the last 10 years. [R]

Mark Francois: No joint training on unmanned aerial vehicles is known to have taken place between the UK and the armed forces of a European nation in the last ten years, within a reserved airspace area in the UK.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to hold discussions with his international counterparts on updating the legal framework for attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles targeted at particular individuals. [R]

Mark Francois: No.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Innovation Fund for Separated Parents

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made on the innovation fund for helping separated parents.

Steve Webb: We have invested almost £10 million in two rounds of the innovation fund. £6.5 million has already been awarded to seven voluntary and private sector organisations, most of which are now in the very early stages of delivery with some starting to see results. The second round is now well under way and will allocate up to £3.4 million to successful projects by the end of the year.

Post Office Current Account

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the Post Office current account; and what assessment he has made of its compatibility with universal credit payments.

Steve Webb: Universal credit can be paid into Post Office card accounts—however, these have limited functionality.
	We have always been clear that the best option is an account that accepts payments from employers and allows direct debits.
	My Department continues to work closely with the Post Office as they consider their own proposals for banking products, including current accounts.

Defined Pension Contribution Schemes: Governance

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Office of Fair Trading's recent recommendations on the creation of independent governance committees in defined contribution pension schemes.

Steve Webb: We agree with the Office of Fair Trading's view that workplace pension schemes should have robust governance that protects member interests.
	We are now working with the OFT and partners in the pensions industry to assess the implementation of their recommendations, including the creation of independent government committees.
	We are also studying the responses to the Government's recent call for evidence on quality standards in DC workplace pension schemes.

Employment of Former Remploy Workers: Hyndburn

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former Remploy workers from Hyndburn constituency are now in employment.

Esther McVey: There are a total of four disabled former Remploy employees in the Hyndburn constituency. One is currently in employment. One found employment but has subsequently left and is now claiming JSA. A further former employee is claiming JSA and the final former employee is currently undertaking a work trial.

Widow's or Widower's Pension: Civil Partners

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of surviving civil partners qualifying for a widow's or widower's pension.

Steve Webb: There is currently not enough data in this area to allow us to estimate accurately the number of surviving civil partners qualifying for a widow or widowers pension. However during the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 the Government committed to undertake a review of survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes. This will investigate the differences in treatment between same sex and opposite sex survivor benefits in occupational pensions.

Work Capability Assessments

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what improvements he plans to make to the work capability assessment process.

Michael Penning: This Government have improved the work capability assessment process it inherited. However, we are not resting on our laurels.
	Over the next few months we will:
	Publish the fourth independent review, and the Government's response;
	Publish the findings of the evidence-based review of the descriptors;
	Publish an invitation to tender to re-contract provision.

Employment of Former Remploy Workers

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former Remploy workers are now in employment.

Esther McVey: At 4 October 2013, 1,326 disabled former Remploy workers are engaging with personal case workers to find jobs. 669 jobs have been found for disabled former employees and 535 are in work. 390 are on Work Choice undertaking activities aimed at moving them closer to employment.

Specialist Disability Employment Advisers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many specialist disability employment advisers are employed by his Department.

Esther McVey: The total number of specialist advisers working with disabled people across Britain is 1,368. This is in addition to the dedicated support they receive from our mainstream advisers.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Esther McVey: The Department for Work and Pensions spent £135.32 on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework for 2011-12, the latest year for which figures are available.
	This represents payment for 198.49 tonnes of carbon.

Carer's Allowance

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to the earnings limit of the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect the increase in the national minimum wage will have on carers working over 16 hours per week; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when the earnings limit for carers allowance was last increased; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The earnings limit for carer’s allowance was last increased in April 2010, from £95 to £100 per week. There are no immediate plans to increase the earnings limit but the Government will keep the matter under review.
	The earnings limit is £100 per week net of allowable expenses so some carers, including some of those working over 16 hours per week at the national minimum wage, will be able to earn significantly more than £100 and still be entitled to carer’s allowance.

Children: Maintenance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have been in arrears with their Child Support Agency payments for a period of (i) under six months, (ii) under a year and (iii) over a year in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available as it is not routinely recorded. Answering your request would require the creation of new information which cannot be completed and appropriately assured without incurring disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have been registered with the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The following table shows the number of cases registered with the Child Support Agency in (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK for each of the last 5 years.
	
		
			  Ribble Valley Lancashire UK 
			 June    
			 2009 900 33,700 1,213,000 
			 2010 840 32,330 1,148,600 
			 2011 810 31,770 1,141,310 
			 2012 840 30,500 1,116,120 
			 2013 840 30,190 1,115,490 
			 Notes: 1. Lancashire is made up of: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Lancaster, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Preston, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre local authorities. 2. Figures rounded to nearest 10. 3. Caseloads have been allocated to a local authority by matching the residential postcode of the parent with care for all cases administered on the CS2 and CSCS computer systems to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. All figures have then been rated up to match the total caseload figure which includes cases administered off system. 4. The UK figures include cases where the parent with care has a residential postcode in Northern Ireland. 5. All figures exclude cases processed on the 2012 Child Maintenance Scheme.

Employment and Support Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proportion of employment and support allowance claimants who (a) are in receipt of contributory employment and support allowance and (b) have exhausted eligibility for contributory employment and support allowance.

Esther McVey: Statistics on the proportion of employment and support allowance claimants who are in receipt of contributory employment and support allowance can be found at:
	http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
	Information on the proportion of employment and support allowance claimants who have exhausted eligibility for contributory employment and support allowance is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average weekly number of job applications submitted by each jobseeker in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) Wales in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: No such data is collected.

Food Banks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus branches are currently signposting people to food banks; and if he will publish a list of such branches.

Esther McVey: It is the policy for all Jobcentre Plus branches to signpost people to food banks where it is appropriate to do so.

Food Banks

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 11 September 2013, Official Report, column 975, on Engagements, whether Jobcentre Plus branches are referring people to food banks.

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus signposts people to food banks where it is appropriate to do so.

Funeral Payments

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to support families who struggle to pay funeral costs; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme continues to provide help towards a simple, respectful, low-cost funeral and, in 2012-13, over 35,000 awards were made worth £43.1 million, with an average award of £1,225.
	From May 2012, budgeting loan provision was extended to include funeral expenses. This helps where a deposit is required up front, or towards the balance of costs that a social fund funeral payment cannot meet.
	From 1 April 2013, any arrears of benefit, which were due to the deceased at date of death, are disregarded. This means that such arrears are no longer deducted from the funeral payment award.

Housing Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many persons under the age of 25 were in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last four financial years; and how many such persons were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment; and what the average award of housing benefit was per week for each of those groups;
	(2)  how many persons under the age of 25 were in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last four financial years; and how many of those were (a) in lone parent households and (b) victims of domestic violence.

Steve Webb: Statistics on how many persons under the age of 25 years were in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last four financial years; and how many such persons were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment and (c) in lone parent households; and what the average award of housing benefit was per week for each of these groups can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
	Information on how many persons, under the age of 25 years, in receipt of housing benefit were victims of domestic violence is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many health and safety inspections of cooling towers have been completed since May 2010.

Michael Penning: In the years 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out 223, 157 and 324 inspections respectively, involving cooling towers and evaporative condensers. HSE did not collect such data on inspections carried out by local authorities in those years.
	In 2013-14, HSE and local authority inspectors are undertaking a special programme of visits to inspect cooling towers and evaporative condensers as part of a wider programme of interventions to improve the management of the risks from Legionella. Between April and September 2013, HSE has carried out 530 inspections, with 90 more undertaken by local authorities.

Industrial Health and Safety

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the safety implications of employing workers on zero hours contracts in (a) hazardous industries and (b) the offshore oil and gas industry.

Michael Penning: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating health and safety in onshore major hazard industries and the offshore oil and gas industry.
	The protection afforded by health and safety at work legislation to workers employed both onshore and offshore applies regardless of their employment arrangements.
	HSE routinely checks that employers in major hazards sector have in place systems to ensure the competence of employees to ensure that they are appropriately skilled, and understand the risks of their work and the control measures necessary to prevent a major accident.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants who (a) are in receipt of contributory jobseeker's allowance and (b) have exhausted eligibility for contributory jobseeker's allowance.

Esther McVey: Statistics on the proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants who are in receipt of contributory jobseeker's allowance can be found at:
	http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
	Information on the proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants who have exhausted eligibility for contributory jobseeker's allowance is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claimants of jobseeker's allowance in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have disputed their sanction of their benefit have had their sanction overturned in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many claimants of jobseeker's allowance in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who disputed the sanction of their benefit had their sanction overturned after reconsideration in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many claimants of jobseeker's allowance in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have disputed the sanction of their benefit have had their sanction overturned following appeal in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: The information requested for (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) Great Britain is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Number(1) of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants who had the original decision to apply a sanction overturned upon reconsideration or appeal by area, referral action(2) and year of decision(3), Great Britain: 1 January 2008 to 31 May 2012 
			   Year of decision(3) 
			 Area Referral action(2) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Great Britain Total—Overturned 27,350 30,980 64,690 82,060 34,510 
			  Reconsidered—Overturned 26,310 30,130 62,980 79,230 33,280 
			  Appealed—Overturned 1,190 1,010 2,130 4,000 1,490 
			        
			 North East Jobcentre Plus Group(4) Total—Overturned 5,470 5,430 10,550 14,330 5,870 
			  Reconsidered—Overturned 5,430 5,390 10,380 13,800 5,600 
			  Appealed—Overturned 60 50 200 830 310 
			        
			 South Tyneside local authority(5) Total—Overturned 170 150 270 330 140 
			  Reconsidered—Overturned 170 150 270 320 140 
			  Appealed—Overturned — — 10 10 — 
			        
			 Jarrow parliamentary constituency Total—Overturned 90 80 150 190 60 
		
	
	
		
			  Reconsidered—Overturned 80 70 140 190 60 
			  Appealed—Overturned — — — 10 — 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals will count individuals who have had both a sanction overturned upon reconsideration and also upon appeal once and therefore may not sum. Figures will also include individuals who have a sanction overturned in more than one year, e.g. if an individual has had a sanction overturned in 2008 and also in 2012 then they will appear twice. "—" denotes nil or negligible. (2) Referral action: The number of sanctions applied is the number of Varied(7), Fixed Length(8) and Entitlement Decision(9) referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. The decision to apply a sanction can be overturned following reconsideration or appeal. (3) Year of Decision: The year in which the decision on the sanction referral, reconsideration or appeal was made. The year 2012 only includes data up to and including 31 May, which are the latest data available for all geographical areas. (4) Jobcentre Plus Group: Formerly known as Jobcentre Plus Regions. Jobcentre Plus Groups were updated to reflect changes to the hierarchical structure of Jobcentre Plus implemented on 5 April 2011 from 11 regions to seven groups. (5) Local Authority: On 1 April 2009 structural changes to the local authorities of England took effect. Changes are reflected from April 2009 in this table. (6) Parliamentary Constituency: Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. More information and a map can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/maps/index.html (7) Varied Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the Adjudication Officer who makes the decision. (8) Fixed Length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a Jobseeker's Direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the Adjudication Officer's decision on a sanction question. (9) Entitlement Decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to JSA depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the Jobseeker's agreement (JSAg) is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of JSA will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database

Means-tested Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the rate of non-take up of means-tested benefits.

Esther McVey: On 23 February 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions published the latest estimates of the take-up of the main income-related benefits in Great Britain: income support and employment and support allowance (income-related), pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based). The publication provides estimates for 2009-10.
	The full report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up

Pensions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the total cost to pension holders of charges levied by pension management companies.

Steve Webb: The Making Automatic Enrolment Work Review, set up by the current Government, found that charges levied on pensions can have a significant impact on lifetime savings. The report found that a median earner with a full savings history who pays a 0.5% AMC would lose 9% of their total fund value. By contrast, at the stakeholder charge cap they would lose over 20% of their total fund value.
	We will be publishing a consultation this autumn that examines a range of proposals on charges, including for a cap on pension charges as a means to protect individuals and employers from excessive charges. As part of this consultation, the Government will set out its assessment of the costs to pension holders of the charges levied by pension companies.

Pensions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the risks of pricing to the cap should a cap on charges by pension management companies be introduced.

Steve Webb: We will be publishing a consultation this autumn that examines a range of proposals on charges, including for a cap on pension charges as a means to protect individuals and employers from excessive charges. The consultation will also cover possible implications of the proposals. During the consultation phase we will welcome views and evidence from stakeholders on these and other issues.

Pensions: Homosexuality

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the number of individuals likely to be affected by a move to provide pension equality for same sex couples; and what assessment she has made of the cost of such a move.

Steve Webb: During the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 the Government committed to undertake a review of survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes. This will investigate the differences in treatment between same sex and opposite sex survivor benefits in occupational pensions.
	Part of the review will be to collect data on the number of scheme members affected by the differences in treatment and use this to investigate what the costs and other effects would be of the elimination of these differences by the equalisation of survivor benefits.
	The Government will publish a report on the outcome of the review before 1 July 2014.

Private Rented Housing: Rents

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a scheme whereby rents can be paid on behalf of tenants directly to landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: We expect most universal credit claimants to take financial responsibility for paying their own household bills on time. This will help prepare claimants for the world of work and improve financial inclusion.
	We will give extra help to those who need it, including appropriate budgeting tools and money advice.
	We will provide alternative payment arrangements for the minority who genuinely cannot manage the standard monthly payments. Where there is a risk of financial harm to the claimant or their family, we will look at managed payments of rent to the landlord, making more frequent payments or splitting the payment within the household.

Recruitment: EU Nationals

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of UK job vacancies filled by non-UK EU applicants through the First Eures Job job mobility scheme in the last year for which figures are available.

Esther McVey: The European Commission began data collection on the country of origin and destination of participants in the Your First EURES Job job mobility scheme in January 2013. During the first and second quarter of 2013, 61 people were placed in employment in the UK through pilot projects operating from other EU member states. The UK Government is not participating in the scheme.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Michael Penning: The following information includes compensation paid through the use of voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy schemes.
	
		
			  Number of staff leaving through voluntary exits, voluntary redundancies and compulsory redundancies Number of redundancy payments made in lieu of notice 
			 2010-11 249 238 
			 2011-12 41 16 
			 2012-13 3 1

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Michael Penning: I have provided the information requested, which includes compensation paid through the use of voluntary release, voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy schemes.
	
		
			 Financial year Voluntary release Voluntary exit Voluntary redundancy Compulsory redundancy Of which: Compensation in lieu of notice paid 
			 2010-11 (1)524 — — — 0 
			 2011-12 — 1,427 8 2 90 
			 2012-13 — 275 220 17 15 
			 (1 )For the period 2010-11 under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme in place at the time, the Department offered voluntary releases. The numbers provided for 2010-11 reflect this position.

Social Security Benefits

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much (a) income support, (b) housing benefit, (c) employment and support allowance and (d) jobseeker's allowance was paid late due to administrative error by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available our Management Information systems do not capture data in this way.

Social Security Benefits: Brent

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in the London borough of Brent have had their benefits reduced as a result of the household benefit cap.

Esther McVey: With the exception of the four phased area local authorities, Official Statistics on how many households in each local authority have had their benefits reduced as a result of the household benefit cap are not currently available. They are intended for future publication later this year in line with the Code of Practice on Official Statistics.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Records

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department made of (a) the medical purpose and (b) the potential effect on people's willingness to be honest with their doctors about addiction problems of the application made by his Department to access drug treatment data of NHS patients in order to link it to information about employment and benefits claims; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: In December 2012, an application from the Department for Work and Pensions went before the Department of Health's Ethics Committee, seeking approval to allow the National Treatment Agency (now part of Public Health England) to share data with the Department.
	The purpose of this application was to enable analysis to provide the Department with a better understanding, at a population level, of the impact of drug dependency on employment prospects and engagement with the labour market, as well as the role that employment plays in recovery.
	The analysis would have involved linking information from the Department for Work and Pensions, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, and Public Health England. Once matched, the data would have been anonymised, and appropriate information security protocols and safeguards would have been in place to prevent the data being used for any other purpose.
	The application made by the Department to allow Public Health England to share data with DWP was turned down by the Ethics Committee. The Department has not appealed that decision, nor lodged a follow-up application. While the Department believes that there would have been much to be gained from undertaking the planned analysis to understand the needs of this client group, the Ethics Committee considered that the individual medical benefit likely to stem from the sharing of information on any individual was not sufficiently demonstrated. It is likely to be the case that if there are indirect medical benefits realised, it may be in respect of future cohorts of people in treatment, rather than individuals whose data was used to inform the analysis.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department, other than those employed at pathfinder jobcentres, are currently involved in processing universal credit applications.

Esther McVey: At the end of September 2013 there were just over 100 staff delivering universal credit in the Pathfinder Service Centres.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who will be in receipt of universal credit by April 2014.

Esther McVey: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban) provided to the hon. Member for Wansbeck (Ian Lavery), on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 251W.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date he expects the universal credit portal to be able to accept all new applications for working age benefits.

Esther McVey: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban) provided to the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), on 9 September 2013, Official Report, column 611W.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the National Audit Office Report, Universal Credit: early progress, HC 621, paragraph 2.5, how many of the 99 recommendations made by the reset team for universal credit have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: All of the recommendations made by the reset team are being considered or implemented. Many span the delivery of the Universal Credit Programme over a long period and as such, though significant progress has already been made, will not be considered fully implemented for some time.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of universal credit claimants in the pathfinders to date have made their claims online.

Esther McVey: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban) provided to the hon. Member for Wansbeck (Ian Lavery) on 2 September 2013, Official Report, column 251W.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to deal with fraud and error in universal credit claims prior to full functionality of the IT system.

Steve Webb: The Department is ensuring that it is in a position to deliver robust protection against the wide range of threats that universal credit may face at each stage of roll out, working closely with other Government Departments to achieve this. Enhanced security controls are being progressively developed enabling the Department to refine them ahead of full functionality of the IT system.
	All new universal credit claims delivered though the pathfinder are verified through documentation provided by claimants. There is further scrutiny of claims using a rule-based data matching service built on existing technology that directs the requirement for any additional documentary evidence or specialist attention where indicated. This is in addition to the face to face identity verification process that takes place routinely. Once in payment all claims are regularly checked for the potential for heightened risk based on unreported changes and new information being available, and referred for specialist intervention where required.

Universal Credit

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect of the introduction of Universal Credit on the timely payments of rents by tenants to landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Direct Payment Demonstration projects have and continue to provide much valuable live learning about how best to design that aspect of universal credit so that it has the least impact on both tenants and landlords.
	To date, the learning has had a direct influence on the design for universal credit in the areas of Personal Budgeting Support, the Alternative Payment Arrangements and the rent arrears trigger.
	The latest figures from the first nine months of the projects showed:
	the rent collection rate across projects was between 91% and 97%; and
	the average rent collection rate was 94%.
	A further update will be made available during the autumn.

Welfare State: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive on the effects of the implementation of welfare reform in Northern Ireland.

Esther McVey: The Minister for Welfare Reform regularly meets with the Minister for Social Development of Northern Ireland to discuss a range of issues including welfare reform implementation and they will continue to engage on such matters.

Winter Fuel Payments: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Wrexham and (b) Wales received the winter fuel allowance in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			 Number 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Wrexham parliamentary constituency 14,710 15,110 15,220 15,120 15,140 
			 Wales 680,780 694,200 699,420 693,220 690,280 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. This table recognises the May 2010 structural changes to the parliamentary constituencies of England and Wales. These are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. Reductions in the overall numbers from 2011-12 are primarily due to the qualifying age for WFP increasing in line with the increase in women's state pension age. 4. Figures from 2009-10 to 2012-13 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/winter-fuel-payments-caseload-and-household-figures Source: Information Governance and Security Directorate, DWP.

Work Capability Assessment

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that blind and partially sighted people are adequately assessed in work capability assessments.

Michael Penning: The work capability assessment (WCA) is based on an individual's functional ability, not the condition itself.
	We are committed to ensuring that the WCA assesses people, including blind and partially sighted people, as fairly and accurately as possible.
	As part of Professor Harrington's third independent review he considered whether changes were needed to the sensory descriptors used in the WCA. He asked several charities, including RNIB, to produce evidence that the sensory descriptors needed to change. As his review reports, the material submitted failed to provide any evidence that blind and partially sighted people are not being unfairly assessed by the current WCA.
	Since that point, the Department has been working with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists to update the guidance and training material used by Atos healthcare professionals and DWP Decision Makers.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to publish updates of the data contained in his Department's publication, Employment and Support Allowance—Incapacity Benefits Reassessments: Outcomes of Work Capability Assessments, Great Britain, published in March 2012, broken down by geographical area.

Michael Penning: Since 30 April 2013 the publication Employment and Support: outcomes of Work Capability Assessment was combined with Employment and Support Allowance: incapacity benefits reassessment. Both publications are released each quarter (January, April, July and October), but as one publication.
	The next release date is 22 October 2013 as announced on the Publication Hub at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html
	and gov.uk at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/employment-and-support-allowance-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessment

JUSTICE

Absenteeism

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the rates of staff (a) absence and (b) sickness absence in his Department in each of the past five years were; and what the departmental targets were in each case.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice does not have a formal departmental target for staff absence but reviews absence levels at regular intervals in line with practice across the civil service and keeps progress in reducing absence under close scrutiny. Improving attendance is a high priority across the Ministry. The Department's managing attendance policies and procedures provide a simple, clear and consistent framework for managing attendance and allow managers to help employees achieve improved attendance at work.
	Overall absence rates are not calculated by the Department. Therefore to provide such information in each of the last five financial years would incur a disproportionate cost.
	The following table sets out the rate of average number of working days lost (AWDL) due to sickness across the whole of the Ministry of Justice in each of the last financial years.
	
		
			  AWDL per person Departments included 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 9.8 MOJ HQ, HMCS, Tribunals, NOMS, PGO, Scotland Office, Wales Office 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 10.0 MOJ HQ, HMCS, Tribunals, NOMS, OPG, UKSC 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 9.2 MOJ HQ, HMCS, Tribunals, NOMS, OPG, UKSC, Scotland Office, Wales Office 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 9.3 MOJ HQ, HMCTS, NOMS, OPG, UKSC 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 9.9 MOJ HQ, HMCTS, NOMS, OPG

Community Orders

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2013, Official Report, columns 512-3W, on community orders, how many convictions which led to a community order saw the individual complete their order in full in each year since 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Information on termination of community orders and the reason for termination, e.g. ran their full course is published routinely in the ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly—Annual Tables’, The requested information can be found within table A4.23 of the Probation Tables 2012, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/194275/omsq-annual-tables-2012.zip
	The annual trend has shown increasing numbers of community orders completed successfully.

Coroners

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many coroners are above the judicial retirement age; and what estimate he has made of the average age of such coroners.

Shailesh Vara: Neither the Ministry of Justice nor the chief coroner's office holds this information but the figure is believed to be very small.
	The reforms introduced in July of this year under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 set the coroner retirement age at 70, bringing it into line with that for other judicial office holders, but this is only for new coronial appointments.

Council Tax: Non-payment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many summonses were issued for non-payment of council tax in each of the last five years; and how many such summonses resulted in a hearing in which the defendant was present.

Shailesh Vara: Council tax cases are not always listed and resulted individually as local councils issue multiple cases that are heard at a single hearing. HMCTS cannot, therefore, tell how many people they relate to, or how many defendants attended. The only way we may be able to obtain this data would be to ask each area/court to manually count and check the numbers which would be possible only at disproportionate costs. Upon the granting of a liability order the local council takes responsibility for the production of those orders.

Courts: Operating Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost was (a) per case heard and (b) per day in a (i) magistrates' court and (b) Crown court in each year since 2005-06.

Shailesh Vara: The information is as follows.
	(a) The average costs of hearings in magistrates courts and disposals and orders made in Crown courts are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Crown court Magistrates courts 
			 2005-06 1,639 n/a 
			 2006-07 1,594 n/a 
			 2007-08 1,519 154 
			 2008-09 1,492 169 
			 2009-10 1,488 174 
			 2010-11 1,441 168 
			 2011-12 1,466 164 
			 2012-13 1,548 154 
		
	
	The average costs have been derived by dividing the direct costs incurred by the courts in a financial year by the number of hearings reported by the HMCTS performance database for the financial year in the case of magistrates courts and the numbers of disposals and orders made in the financial year in the case of the Crown court.
	Direct costs in this instance means those costs recorded against cost centres classified as part of the Crown court or magistrates court jurisdiction, plus allocated judicial costs incurred centrally. Non-cash depreciation expenses have been excluded.
	While the total direct cost of the Crown court jurisdiction fell from £227 million to £216 million in 2012-13, there was a greater percentage decrease in the number of disposals and orders made, leading to the increase in cost per case shown.
	Since 2007-08 magistrates courts proceedings data recorded by HMCTS are not directly comparable with the data previously recorded by the Office of Criminal Justice Reform. As a result it is not possible to provide comparable average magistrates courts costs per case for 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	(b) Since 2011-12 the staff and judicial cost per sitting day in the magistrates and Crown courts have been published in the HMCTS Annual Report and Accounts:
	
		
			  2011-12 2012-13 
			  Judicial/Staff Cost (£) Judicial/Staff Cost (£) 
			 Magistrates court Judicial 110 Judicial 129 
			  Staff 1,094 Staff 1,071 
			      
			 Crown court Judicial 992 Judicial 987 
			  Staff 665 Staff 616 
		
	
	Staff and judicial expenditure is based on jurisdictional analysis. Expenditure includes apportioned costs from regional and central teams. Judicial costs met centrally through the consolidated fund are apportioned based on sitting days. Costs are divided by the actual days sat in each jurisdiction to derive a cost per sitting day.
	Between 2009-10 and 2011-12 a different approach to costing sitting days was used, based on judicial, administration and court costs incurred directly by the courts, excluding overheads and depreciation. These were reported in response to your previous question (91551) in January 2012.
	Courts average cost per hearing day are as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 
			 (a) Magistrates court 1,341 1,323 
			 (b) Crown court 2,043 2,021 
		
	
	Prior to financial year 2009-10, financial systems did not support the jurisdictional analyses that are the basis of current costings. It is therefore not possible to provide meaningful comparatives for the average cost per hearing day for earlier years.

Courts: Security

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget was allocated for (a) Crown court security and (b) magistrates' court security across England in each year since 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: HMCTS does not budget separately for security costs as these are captured within wider estates headings. However, actual expenditure on security in courts in England and Wales in each year since 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Crown court Magistrates court 
			 2008-09 6.1 18.5 
			 2009-10 6.7 19 
			 2010-11 6.8 18.9 
			 2011-12 7 17 
			 2012-13 6.5 14.7

Crown Prosecution Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Director of Public Prosecutions is obliged to publish details of meetings in the same manner as Ministers publish ministerial diaries; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: I have been asked to reply.
	For the purposes of the publication of transparency data, the Director of Public Prosecutions is regarded as a Permanent Secretary and in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines must, like all Permanent Secretaries, publish details of meetings. These data are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the CPS website as well as data.gov.uk.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for employment and support allowance appeals.

Shailesh Vara: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits, including employment and support allowance (ESA).
	The total number of appeals received by the SSCS tribunal nationally has risen significantly: from 339,200 in 2009-10 to 507,100 in 2012-13 (an increase of 49%). The number of ESA appeals received has risen from 126,838 in 2009-10 to 327,961 in 2012-13 (an increase of 159%).HMCTS has responded strongly at a national level to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Measures in place include ongoing recruitment of additional judges and medically qualified members and the review and continuous improvement of administrative processes both internally and between HMCTS and DWP. This is in addition to local initiatives, such as identifying additional hearing venues across HMCTS estate, and increasing the use of Saturday sessions. All of this is having a positive effect. The total number of disposals (which includes appeals disposed of at a tribunal hearing as well as those struck out, superseded or withdrawn) has increased significantly from 279,000 in 2009-10 to 465,500 in 2012-13 (an increase of 66%). ESA disposals have increased from 70,535 in 2009-10 to 204,321 in 2012-13.
	In the first quarter of this year, the tribunal disposed of 92,810 ESA appeals, compared to 52,300 in the same quarter last year, an increase of 44%.
	The average waiting time for all benefit types has fallen nationally from 23 weeks in 2011-12 to 18 weeks in 2012-13. This reduction has been sustained in the first quarter of 2013-14.

Knives: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number of previous convictions for possession of a bladed article for an individual convicted of such an offence without being sent to prison was in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many offences that individual had committed in total at the point of sentence for this offence.

Jeremy Wright: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), wrote to the hon. Member on 30 September to provide the following information, and copies were placed in the House Library.
	The Government believes that those who carry, or use a knife or offensive weapon to threaten another person and cause an immediate risk of serious physical harm to that other person are committing serious offences and should be punished accordingly.
	In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013, the Government introduced the new offence of threatening and endangering someone with a knife in a public place or a school which came into force on 3 December 2012.
	The Government is already considering whether there is a case for further changes to be made to the sentencing framework for knife possession as part of the knife sentencing review. We have already made it clear that we will be ensuring that cautions cannot be given for knife possession except in exceptional circumstances. Any changes we make to the sentencing framework will be brought forward in due course.
	The highest number of previous convictions for possession of a knife by an offender who was convicted of a knife possession offence and not sentenced to custody is 15, for offences committed 12 months ending March 2013, England and Wales. The same offender had a total of 25 convictions for all offences at that point and had received custodial sentences for some of the previous convictions mentioned.
	The custody rate for those convicted of possession of a knife with at least one previous knife possession offence is 45%. In general custody rates have been increasing for possession of a knife or offensive weapon, up from 16% in Q1 2008 to 28% in Q1 2013(1).
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-january-to-march-2013

Legal Opinion

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which 50 organisations or persons have received the largest sums of money from the public purse for the provision of legal services in respect of (a) immigration and (b) asylum cases in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much from the public purse has been provided (a) directly and (b) indirectly through third parties to support legal cases related to (i) immigration and (ii) asylum issues in each of the last five years; and how much has been given to each such third party in each such year.

Jeremy Wright: At a cost of around £2 billion a year we have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world. We have made changes and proposed further reforms to reduce the cost of legal aid and to ensure that the legal aid system commands the confidence of the public. The Government is committed to providing value for money for the taxpayer and making legal aid sustainable for the future. We believe costs paid to lawyers through legal aid should reflect this.
	Legal aid in most immigration cases was removed from 1 April 2013 under changes brought in by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. This will deliver a saving to the public purse of around £20 million per year. Immigration tribunal cases are usually about the facts of a case, and are designed to be user-friendly, so having a lawyer isn't usually necessary. We have also removed legal aid for certain immigration judicial reviews. The majority of Immigration and Asylum advice remaining in scope relates to asylum cases, where the person fears for their life if sent home.
	Prior to this, the total expenditure under legal aid for Immigration and Asylum matters had reduced since 2010 (see Table 1 as follows), partly due to the introduction of fixed fees, but also due to a general decrease in the number of individuals claiming asylum in the UK.
	
		
			 Table 1—Total expenditure 
			 The total expenditure under legal aid in relation to Immigration and Asylum, between 2008-09 and 2012-13 
			 £ 
			  Financial year 
			 Immigration and Asylum 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Claim value for Controlled Work (Immigration) 22,272,000 24,289,360 23,661,000 15,314,000 11,510,830 
			 Claim value for Controlled Work (Asylum) 47,003,000 55,322,170 51,024,000 39,390,000 34,084,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Claim value for Licensed Work (Immigration and Asylum) 5,202,610 4,387,430 5,210,990 4,963,690 4,631,360 
		
	
	The peak in the value of claims in 2009-10 occurred at a point where the UK Borders Agency were concluding many cases which had formed part of their case resolution "legacy" cohort. This led to providers being able to report costs on cases which had been open for a significant period, and therefore led to an increase in the value of claims in that period.
	1. Availability of information:
	In response to both questions, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is able to provide elements of the information requested, however, due to the methods used to report claims for costs to the LAA, it is unable to provide all of the information.
	The LAA does not provide payment directly to individuals seeking legal advice; however, it does provide payment to organisations holding contracts to provide legal advice to such eligible individuals.
	This funding consists of two levels—Controlled Work (this includes initial advice and funding for certain types of appeal) and Licensed Work (appeals to a higher court and applications for Judicial Review). In responding to both questions the data provided has been split between the two levels of funding.
	The information that we are able to provide in response to the two questions differs between these two levels of funding.
	Providers receive payment for Controlled Work through a Standard or Variable Monthly Payment; this is reconciled against the value of claims made for cases up to that point. This monthly payment is not separated between Immigration and Asylum, therefore in order to provide a response to your questions we have provided the Top 50 organisations in each year based on the value of the claims made by provider, rather than the amounts actually paid.
	While the LAA is able to distinguish between claims in relation to Immigration advice and those concerning Asylum at the Controlled Work level, it does not hold data which allows it to do so for Licensed Work. Therefore for Licensed Work, the Top 50 across Immigration and Asylum combined has been provided.
	2. Response to question 166138:
	In response to question 166138, the LAA has provided a series of tables which set out the information available. I have placed copies of these tables in the House Library.
	3. Response to question 166139:
	In response to question 166139, the data has again been split between Controlled Work and Licensed Work, with a further split between Asylum and Immigration claims only possible in relation to Controlled Work. The data in relation to Controlled Work has again been limited to values claimed rather than amounts paid, where as for Licensed Work the actual payments have been provided.
	Under both Controlled Work and Licensed Work, payments are made directly to contract holding organisations. Those organisations may also then make payments to third parties (such as experts and interpreters) in the form of disbursements. The details of the individual disbursements are not generally held by the LAA but are retained on the provider's file. We are therefore unable to provide a breakdown of the amounts paid to individual third parties.
	Table 5 as follows details the total claims made in each financial year under Controlled Work, separated into both Asylum and Immigration. The total value of the disbursements claimed by organisations as part of those total claims has also been given.
	
		
			 Table 5 
			 £ 
			  Total claim values Total disbursements claimed 
			 Financial year Asylum Immigration Asylum Immigration 
			 2008-09 46,766,521 22,050,990 9,746,722 1,994,810 
			 2009-10 55,057,957 24,167,548 11,413,793 2,266,821 
			 2010-11 50,950,334 23,735,115 10,370,876 2,440,982 
			 2011-12 39,183,376 15,251,550 8,560,657 1,788,019 
			 2012-13 34,095,091 11,529,640 8,124,338 1,730,579 
		
	
	Table 6 as follows details the total value of payments made directly to organisations under Licensed Work in each of the last five financial years. Similarly to the previous question, the LAA is unable to separate between Asylum and Immigration cases for this level of funding. The table also includes the total value of payments made to organisations for disbursements, which would have formed part of the total payments made to the organisations.
	
		
			 Table 6 
			 £ 
			 Financial year Total payments to organisations Total disbursements paid 
			 2008-09 3,824,845 452,934 
			 2009-10 4,188,628 634,674 
			 2010-11 3,814,628 794,765 
			 2011-12 4,488,816 585,726 
			 2012-13 3,548,881 555,420 
		
	
	Table 7 details the total value of payments made directly to barristers under Licensed Work in each of the last five years. The data cannot be separated between Asylum and Immigration.
	
		
			 Table 7 
			 Financial year Number of barristers Total paid (£) 
			 2008-09 365 3,782,686 
			 2009-10 333 3,717,849 
			 2010-11 307 3,695,746 
			 2011-12 308 3,534,862 
			 2012-13 309 4,317,240

Magistrates' Courts

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hearings before magistrates' courts in (a) London and (b) England have been postponed because of a failure to notify witnesses of their requirement to attend on the due date in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: We are overhauling the Criminal Justice System to make the court process swifter and more efficient and recently launched our ‘CJS Strategy and Action Plan’ which includes steps to address the number of cracked and ineffective trials including increasing digital working and improved case management of files.
	The number of trial hearings in England and Wales which are considered ineffective due to ‘prosecution/defence witness absent’ is published as part of the National Statistics publication ‘Court Statistics Quarterly’.
	However, we are unable to centrally identify which of these ineffective hearings were due specifically to ‘failure to notify witness of their requirement to attend’. The information may be available via the manual inspection of case files but this would be possible only at a disproportionate cost.

Magistrates Courts: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people living in Dudley that volunteer at Dudley magistrates court;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the long-term viability of Dudley magistrates court if the HM Courts and Tribunals Service’s preferred proposal for a new listing pattern for the newly formed Black Country Local Justice Area goes ahead;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of staff that would be (a) moved or (b) made redundant as a result of the HM Courts and Tribunals Service’s preferred proposal for a new listing pattern for the newly formed Black Country Local Justice Area;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with individuals and organisations regarding plans to introduce a listing pattern for the newly formed Black Country Local Justice Area;
	(5)  whether travel times listed in the HM Courts and Tribunals Service’s proposals for a listing pattern for the newly formed Black Country Local Justice Area take account of traffic;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the number of visits made to Dudley magistrates court by (a) victims of crime, (b) witnesses and (c) court volunteers in each of the last three years;
	(7)  what measures his Department has taken to ensure that Dudley magistrates court is able to clear its backlog of cases.

Shailesh Vara: The information is as follows:
	(1) HMCTS currently has 105 magistrates (volunteers) that sit at Dudley magistrates court and live in Dudley. All of these magistrates have been involved in pre-consultation meetings and all have had a copy of the consultation document to consider. HMCTS will continue to offer sittings on dates and at centres where they volunteer to attend and there will be no adverse impact on the number of magistrates required. We are unable to provide attendance details of volunteer victim support officers since HMCTS does not collect that information.
	(2) If the proposed listing pattern is implemented, the long-term viability of Dudley magistrates courthouse would be; following consultation with judiciary, stakeholders and court users, to use the courthouse to accommodate family, civil and tribunals (CFT) hearings. In contrast to the decreasing criminal work load, the CFT work load is increasing and there is a requirement for additional court estates to accommodate this rise. This would provide court users with local services which at present are only available in Wolverhampton and Walsall. HMCTS does keep its estates under constant review to ensure that it meets operational needs. The proposals in the consultation are designed to make better use of our estate and the judicial resources available in the black country to improve the service we provide to all court users. We can confirm that there are no plans to close Dudley courthouse.
	(3) There are no plans to make any staff redundant. In the eventuality that staff are required to undertake duties in neighbouring courts, HMCTS will undertake and comply with all statutory consultation procedures. It is proposed that Dudley courthouse will accommodate civil, family and tribunal hearings which will require staff resources thus reducing, possibly eliminating the need to ask staff to travel to neighbouring centres.
	(4) The consultation has been managed by a group of senior magistrates and senior managers within HMCTS all of whom work in the west midlands, the black country and Warwickshire. There has been a lot of pre-consultation, inter-agency engagement with court users, police, CPS, GeoAmey, Victim and Witness Delivery Group, prisons, DVLA and local solicitors to ensure that the needs of all linked agencies are considered. There have also been three consultation meetings with HMCTS staff, police, probation, CPS, magistrates and judiciary to assess the listing proposals. In addition to this, the project group has held individual meetings with GeoAmey, probation, police and youth offending, witness service and the Legal Aid Agency to ensure that all stakeholders have been involved and any challenges faced addressed prior to consultation. A copy of the consultation paper has been distributed to in excess of 70 separate bodies; responses to be received by 21 October 2013. All parties/agencies will be involved in final implementation discussions.
	(5) The average travel times included in the consultation paper do not include potential traffic delays. Travel by private vehicle was sourced by the Green Flag route planner website and the public transport calculations were sourced using the appropriate websites for each travel mode entering required ‘to arrive at 9.30 am’ at each court centre as the end parameter.
	(6) HMCTS does not collate data on the number of visits made by victims and witnesses at court centres. We have checked with the central performance team who have clarified that this data is not captured. Furthermore it is not captured locally or on the magistrates libra system. We do, however, collate data on magistrates (volunteers) attendances which are as follows:
	In 2010—2,355 days per calendar year, 2011—1,610 days per calendar year and 2012—1,441 days per calendar year. The video link equipment on site at Dudley will still be available for use by witnesses when required.
	(7) If the preferred listing practices are implemented, local management will provide additional sitting days for Dudley to eliminate any backlog. No outstanding cases will be transferred to neighbouring court buildings.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  in which month his Department plans to publish the response to its consultation on reducing the number and costs of whiplash claims;
	(2)  when his Department plans to publish the response to the consultation, Reducing the Number and Costs of Whiplash Claims.

Shailesh Vara: This Government is committed to reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims to help bring down the cost of motor insurance premiums for consumers.
	On 16 May 2013, my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Mrs Grant), announced in a written ministerial statement that the Government would defer its response to the 'Reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims' consultation until after the Transport Committee had published its own report and recommendations in this area. The Committee's report was published on 31 July 2013. We are considering its recommendations alongside the responses received to the consultation. The Government will publish its response later this year.

Prisons: Uniforms

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will consider the use of stab proof vests by all prison guards;
	(2)  if he will consider the use of slash and needle-proof gloves by all prison guards.

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has a zero tolerance approach to violence within prisons and takes the safety of prison staff extremely seriously. Staff must be able to undertake their duties safely and be, as far as possible, protected from attack.
	NOMS is currently assessing the benefits and feasibility of issuing front-line prison staff with covert clothing for routine wear, including vests which offer protection from knife slashing or stabbing.
	Knife-resistant vests and other protective clothing are already provided to staff where a particular risk has been identified, including to specialist staff responding to serious incidents.
	Slash-resistant and needle-resistant search gloves are currently available for staff use and local risk-assessment at individual prisons determines how widely they are used. Work is on-going to identify further suitable products which may benefit prison staff in conducting routine searches.

Probation Trusts

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much is spent each year on probation trust building; which companies provide such premises; and when the contract governing the occupancy of such building is next due for renewal.

Jeremy Wright: The MOJ spent £94.7 million on the probation estate in respect of rents, rates, services charges, utilities, facilities maintenance and depreciation in 2012-13 compared to £104.5 million in 2011-12. The probation estate is a combination of freehold and leasehold premises. The MOJ provides the property to probation trusts to enable them to deliver the service and then, through the contract the trusts hold with the National Offender Management Service, recharges the trust for the majority of the cost.
	Information in relation to each probation trust building could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many probation staff in England and Wales have been trained in sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Jeremy Wright: Sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, which were inserted by virtue of section 111 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, have been included in the curriculum of the Probation Qualification Framework since 2012.
	Employment information, including training details, relating to probation staff is held by the 35 probation trusts. It is not collected centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office is in the process of developing a training package on stalking, to be delivered to professionals working with offenders.

Salvation Army

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in September 2013; in which (i) region, (ii) country and (iii) parliamentary constituency each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each person to the scheme.

Shailesh Vara: In September 2013 there were 73 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by The Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the county or parliamentary constituency. Details are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Nationality Gender Region Agency type 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female North West Other 
		
	
	
		
			 Albanian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Local Authority 
			 Albanian Female North West Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Albanian Female North East NGO 
			 Albanian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Albanian Female South East Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Albanian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 British Female South West Police 
			 British Female South East Police 
			 Bulgarian Female South East Police 
			 Burkina Faso Female South East Health Services 
			 Cameroonian Female West Midlands NGO 
			 Chinese Female Wales NGO 
			 Congolese Female Wales NGO 
			 Gambian Female Yorkshire Home Office 
			 Hungarian Male South Police 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Hungarian Female Yorkshire Police 
			 Hungarian Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Indian Male South East NGO 
			 Indonesian Female West Midlands Home Office 
			 Jamaican Female West Midlands NGO 
			 Kosovan Female South East Police 
			 Latvian Male South East Police 
			 Latvian Male South East Police 
			 Latvian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Male South East Police 
			 Lithuanian Female South Self Referral 
			 Lithuanian Male West Midlands NGO 
			 Malawian Female Wales Home Office 
			 Nigerian Female Wales NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East Local Authority 
			 Nigerian Female South East Self Referral 
			 Nigerian Female Wales NGO 
			 Nigerian Female South East NGO 
			 Nigerian Male South Legal Representative 
			 Nigerian Female South Self Referral 
			 Philippine Female South East NGO 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Police 
			 Polish Male West Midlands Other 
			 Polish Female Yorkshire NGO 
			 Polish Male Yorkshire NGO 
			 Polish Male South NGO 
			 Romanian Female South East Police 
			 Romanian Male South East Police 
			 Slovakian Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Slovakian Male Yorkshire Police 
			 Slovakian Male South East NGO 
			 Spanish Male South East Police 
			 Thai Female South East Home Office 
			 Thai Female South East Self Referral 
			 Turkish Male East Home Office 
		
	
	
		
			 Ugandan Female South Legal Representative 
			 Ugandan Male South East Self Referral 
			 Ugandan Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Ugandan Female South Legal Representative 
			 Vietnamese Male South East Home Office 
			 Vietnamese Female North West Police 
			 Vietnamese Female South East Legal Representative 
			 Vietnamese Female West Midlands Legal Representative 
			 Zimbabwean Female South NGO

Satellite Broadcasting

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what subscriptions his Department has for premium satellite television channels; and what the cost of each such subscription was in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many flat screen televisions have been purchased by his Department in the last 24 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of such purchases.

Jeremy Wright: In October 2010, the coalition Government decided to withdraw satellite television from the prison estate. There was a transition period, and there are now no public sector prisons allowing access to subscription TV channels in any part of the establishment.
	As part of changes to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework which were announced in April 2013, subscription television services have been removed from all contracted out prisons as well.
	The provision of services, such as satellite subscriptions, within judicial lodgings are provided by the lodgings manager, who is employed by the Ministry of Justice. Satellite channel subscriptions for judges' lodgings have now been cancelled with effect from 1 November 2013.
	The Ministry of Justice holds the information requested for the most recent full annual period from 2012-13. The following premium satellite channel subscriptions were purchased in the transition period and there are no ongoing costs.
	
		
			 Organisation Location Satellite channel subscriptions Spend 2012-13 (£) 
			 National Offender Management Service HM Prison Warren Hill Sky 3,630.00 
			 National Offender Management Service HM Prison Swansea Sky 871.20 
			 HM Courts and Tribunal Service 11 judges’ lodgings various locations nationwide Sky and Virgin 9,085.00 
			     
			 Total net spend   13,586.20 
		
	
	HMP Swansea and HMP Warren Hill terminated their subscriptions in May 2012 and December 2012 respectively. Channels were not available in cells but only in association areas of the establishments.
	The number (and cost) of flat screen televisions purchased by the Ministry of Justice in the last 24 months is as follows:
	
		
			 Number of flat screen TVs purchased 2011-13 (FY) Net cost (£) 
			 714 169,863.43 
		
	
	Flat screen televisions are primarily located in education departments and staff training rooms. Digital information points are also connected to flat screen televisions.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the highest number was of previous convictions or cautions of an offender who did not receive an immediate custodial sentence in each year since 2009;
	(2)  how many people convicted of (a) between five and nine, (b) between 10 and 14 and (c) 15 or more offences did not receive a custodial sentence for any of those offences in each year since 2009.

Jeremy Wright: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), wrote to the hon. Member on 30 September to provide the following information, and copies were placed in the House Library.
	The Government is committed to strengthening sentences, so that they combine robust punishment with requirements that are effective at preventing further offending and which provide reparation to victims and communities. To make progress in driving down re-offending rates the Government is fundamentally reforming the system:
	For the first time in recent history, every offender released from custody will receive statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community.
	We are putting in place an unprecedented nationwide 'through the prison gate' resettlement service.
	The market will be opened up to a diverse range of new rehabilitation providers.
	We will introduce new payment incentives for market providers to focus relentlessly on reforming offenders.
	We will create a new public sector National Probation Service, working to protect the public and building on the expertise and professionalism already in place.
	Table 1 shows the offender who, at the point of receiving a sentence other than immediate custody for an indictable offence in each year since 2009, had the highest number of previous convictions or caution recorded against them. The table also includes the number of custodial sentences that individual has previously received. When a court sentences an offender the courts must treat previous convictions as a potential aggravating factor, however the courts powers are limited to the maximum penalty for the latest criminal offence committed. Persistent offenders are likely to receive a number of custodial sentences over their criminal careers.
	
		
			 Table 1: Offender who, at the point of receiving a sentence other than immediate custody for an indictable offence, had the highest number of previous convictions or cautions recorded against them: England and Wales, by year 
			  Latest offence Sentence received Number previous convictions/cautions Main previous offence types Number previous custodial sentences Year of first conviction/caution 
			 2009 Shoplifting Fine 576 Shoplifting (232) Drunkenness/disorder (123)(1) Harassment (30)(1) 181 1959 
			 2010 Fraud—dishonestly make false representation Conditional discharge 396 Obtain property/services by deception (190) Shoplifting (48) Drunkenness/disorder (39)(1) Burglary (34) 167 1966 
			 2011(2) Failure to surrender to bail Fine 472 Drunkenness/disorder (396)(1) Harassment (47)(1) Failure to surrender to bail (12) 24 1965 
			 2012(2) Failure to surrender to bail Fine 487 Drunkenness/disorder (404)(1) Harassment (51)(1) Failure to surrender to bail (15) 25 1965 
			 (1) The maximum sentence available for these summary offences is a fine. (2) The same offender appears in the dataibr.2011 and 2012. Source: Police National Computer Extract, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the number of offenders who did not receive any immediate custodial sentences for indictable offences in each year since 2009, by the number of times they were convicted during the year.
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of offenders convicted of offences for which they did not received a custodial sentence, 2009 to 2012 in England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders 
			 Number convictions 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Between 5 and 9 590 594 568 594 
			 Between 10 and 14 6 4 8 9 
		
	
	
		
			 15 or more 1 1 — 3 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	It should also be noted that the vast majority of those offenders receiving 15 or more convictions for indictable offences during each year received at least one immediate custodial sentence over this period as shown in table 3.
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of offenders who have committed 15 or more offences against the number who received a custodial or non-custodial sentence In each year since 2009 in England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders who received 
			  Number of offenders Immediate custody Non immediate custody 
			 2009 20 19 1 
			 2010 19 18 1 
			 2011 31 31 — 
			 2012 33 30 3 
		
	
	The figures used to answer both of these questions have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are therefore provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Stalking: Sentencing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether a course of conduct is taken into account by a court when sentencing for a stalking-related offence; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: A comprehensive framework of civil remedies and criminal offences is available to deal with stalking and harassment. This framework was strengthened by this Government by amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 made by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The offences of harassment and stalking require a person to pursue a course of conduct which amounts to the harassment or stalking of another person—a course of conduct is therefore an element of the offence which must be proven in order to secure a conviction. A course of conduct must involve conduct on at least two occasions.
	In determining the appropriate sentence in each case the court will take account of all the circumstances including the level and nature of the contact. The sentencing guidelines for harassment offences make clear that where there is persistent contact over a longer period there is a greater degree of harm and the sentence should be aggravated accordingly.

TRANSPORT

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the incidence of aerotoxic syndrome;
	(2)  how many UK-based (a) pilots, (b) cabin crew have reported to his Department symptoms of neurological damage alleged to have arisen from aerotoxic syndrome.

Robert Goodwill: The term “aerotoxic syndrome” is not a medically recognised syndrome and does not define a discrete set of symptoms or signs.
	The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Medical Department, who lead on aviation medical issues, has for a number of years maintained a separate record of cases of pilot applicants who reported acute or long-term symptoms which they considered were linked to exposure to contaminated cabin air.
	Out of 28 cases, 14 pilots have since returned to flying or were never assessed as unfit, leaving 14 who remain unfit although a number of these individuals are now over the normal retirement age.
	No new cases have been added since June 2012 and we are not aware of any further cases that are currently under review.
	No reports have been received from cabin crew. The CAA Medical Department does not oversee the medical fitness of cabin crew and any such cases would be managed by the crew member's employer.

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department is conducting into aerotoxic syndrome.

Robert Goodwill: The term ‘aerotoxic syndrome’ is not a medically recognised syndrome and does not define a discrete set of symptoms or signs.
	The Department's research programme into aircraft cabin air has been concluded and four published reports commissioned by the Department were considered by the Committee on Toxicity (COT) on 17 September.

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress has been made with the International Civil Aviation Organisation on an agreement on a global emissions trading scheme.

Robert Goodwill: The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly, which met from 24 September to 4 October, has agreed to develop a global market based measure to tackle aviation emissions. The ICAO Resolution on climate change adopted by the assembly sets out a work programme to finalise the design of a scheme for implementation from 2020. The results of this work will be reported and a decision taken at the next assembly in 2016.

Aviation: Working Hours

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on changes in the allowed flying times for commercial pilots; and what discussions he has with members of other EU Governments on this issue.

Robert Goodwill: We support the adoption of the proposed Commission regulation on flight time limitations for the crew of commercial aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority is satisfied that it will not lead to a reduction in safety for UK airlines and will improve safety across the EU as a whole.
	The regulation has been discussed by technical representatives of the member states in the appropriate EU Regulatory Committee. The Committee voted overwhelmingly to support the adoption of the regulation.

Bicycles

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of bicycle ownership in each (a) county and (b) constituency.

Robert Goodwill: The Department publishes no information on the level of bicycle ownership for each county and parliamentary constituency.
	The National Travel Survey has information on the level of bicycle ownership in Great Britain as a whole. On average across 2010, 2011 and 2012, around 44% of people aged five and over owned, or had use of, a bicycle.

Biofuels

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to which European Council member states the UK has made representations in support of the Government’s stated preference for a five per cent cap on EU biofuels ahead of the European Council negotiations on 16 October 2013.

Robert Goodwill: The Government has made clear to the European Commission, the European Parliament and all other member states in the European Council that we support the 5% cap.

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rural bus services in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK have been (i) reduced and (ii) removed in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this data, as decisions about the provision of local bus services are a matter for bus operators and local authorities who are best placed to identify the transport needs in their areas.
	Nevertheless, Government recognises that buses are a lifeline for many people in rural areas—providing access to jobs, schools, health care and social activities. That is why we have protected the Department's funding for local bus services during the recent spending review. Moreover, our reforms to date of the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), which devolve the funding to local authorities in respect of the services they choose to support, will give those authorities more say over how that funding is prioritised.
	We have continued to invest in local bus infrastructure and technology through the Better Bus Area Fund, the Green Bus Fund and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. And we have also recognised the importance of community transport in rural areas with £20 million of additional funding.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Stephen Hammond: The Department purchased carbon credits to the value of £6,209.26 through the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF II) in 2012.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received from (a) Thurrock Council and (b) Thurrock Labour Party requesting free tolls for Thurrock residents using the Dartford Crossing.

Robert Goodwill: In order to answer this question, records covering the 2011 consultation on charges at the Dartford Crossing, the 2012 review of the Local Residents' Discount Scheme and Dart-Tag, and the 2013 consultation on additional capacity were used.
	(a) Representations from Thurrock council
	One representation has been received.
	As part of the review of the Local Residents' Discount Scheme, DFT was advised that the leader of Thurrock council thought that the crossing should be free to local residents.
	On the 2013 consultation on options for an additional crossing, Thurrock council stated that:
	“free use of (the) crossing to Thurrock residents and businesses”
	as a requirement for all three potential locations. However, it is not clear if this relates to the current as well as any new crossing.
	Two representatives of Thurrock council responded to the 2011 consultation on changes to charges at Dartford. In response to the question:
	“Do you agree that the residents scheme should remain unchanged”
	they both responded:
	“Yes”
	with no further comments provided.
	According to the records we have available, we have had no further correspondence or representations from Thurrock council regarding allowing local residents free usage.
	(b) Representations from the Thurrock Labour party
	We can locate no record of representations on this subject from the Thurrock Labour party.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to reduce delays in the time taken for the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency to carry out and record vehicle disposal notifications.

Robert Goodwill: The normal turnaround time for processing disposal notifications was impacted by a peak of new registrations work during the summer period.
	A number of measures have now been deployed to address this issue and vehicle disposal notifications are currently being processed within nine days of receipt at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the time taken for the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency to carry out and record vehicle disposal notifications.

Robert Goodwill: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency usually processes vehicle disposal notifications within five working days of receipt. The high volumes received over the summer meant notifications were taking up to 15 days to be processed, they are currently taking nine working days but the processing times are expected to return to normal within two weeks.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to improve the efficiency of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Robert Goodwill: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has committed to deliver £100 million efficiency savings in its annual operating costs by the end of 2014-15.
	On 8 October my predecessor my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) also announced that a review of the way in which the DVLA delivers services to its customers will take place over the next three months.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency efficiency targets.

Robert Goodwill: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has committed to deliver £100 million efficiency savings in its annual operating costs by the end of the 2014-15 financial period. At the end of March 2013 £40.6 million savings had already been reported against this target.

East Coast Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution of open-access operators on the East Coast Main Line in support of the franchised operator.

Stephen Hammond: The impacts of open access operation have been assessed against three criteria: (a) performance; (b) network utilisation; and (c) revenue of the InterCity East Coast franchise.
	(a) Open access operators on the east coast route have typically delivered lower levels of performance than the franchised operator, in part because one of them operates relatively old diesel trains;
	(b) Open access operation has had no material adverse impact on network utilisation, although the constraints on platform occupancy at Kings Cross, in particular, and Doncaster, to a lesser extent, have complicated operations at those two stations;
	(c) Open access operators have generally tended to abstract revenue from the franchised operator. Furthermore, where bidders in the forthcoming InterCity East Coast franchise competition perceive a risk of additional open access competition causing further abstraction, they are likely to offer lower bids.

East Coast Railway Line

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the role of open access competition on the annual premium paid by the East Coast Main Line franchise.

Stephen Hammond: Although an assessment has been made of the impact on the annual premium paid by the East Coast operator, it is not intended to publish such figures in advance of the forthcoming competition for the Intercity East Coast franchise.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department will consult the National Audit Office in advance on the value for money implications on the public finances of Government guarantees for the debt financing of the expansion of Heathrow airport.

Robert Goodwill: The Government has set up the Airports Commission to examine the question of how best to maintain the UK's international hub connectivity. The Government expects, in line with its terms of reference, that the Airports Commission will take account of the public finances when making recommendations. The Commission's final report is due to be submitted to Government in summer 2015.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with (a) the Council of Mortgage Lenders and (b) the National Federation of Estate Agents whilst devising the compensation proposals for those affected by Phase One of the High Speed 2 scheme.

Robert Goodwill: Both the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the National Association of Estate Agents meet as part of a multilateral group of interested organisations with HS2 and officials from the Department for Transport, where the emerging proposals were discussed.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total length in kilometres of the HS2/HS1 link is (a) tunnelled and (b) above ground.

Robert Goodwill: The HS1-HS2 Link runs on the surface for 2.2 km from HS1 to Primrose Hill where it enters a 6.3 km long tunnel which ends at Old Oak Common.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) fastest and (b) average journey time (i) is and (ii) will be after completion of High Speed 2 between London and (A) Sandwell and Dudley and (B) Wolverhampton; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The exact timetable, stopping patterns and services which will operate from the completion of HS2 phase 1 have not yet been determined. It is not realistic to set a timetable this far ahead. However, there is no reason to believe that direct train service times from London to these destinations will be adversely affected. In addition, new services may enable passengers also to have faster journeys to these destinations by using HS2 services and changing as necessary.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has commissioned KPMG to make an assessment of the regional economic effects of alternatives to High Speed 2.

Robert Goodwill: The Department did not commission KPMG to analyse the regional economic impacts of HS2, nor has it commissioned KPMG to assess the regional economic effects of an alternative to HS2.
	HS2 Ltd commissioned KPMG to analyse the potential scale, range and distribution of regional economic impacts brought about by HS2. The report ‘HS2 Regional Economic Impacts’ was published on 11 September.

High Speed Two

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the (a) advertisement, (b) schedule of the placement of the advertisement, (c) detail of the interview process, (d) members of the interview panel and (e) all the applicants for the newly appointed chairman of High Speed 2.

Robert Goodwill: The lengthy process of running a formal recruitment campaign would have risked not having a new chairman in post when Doug Oakervee steps down. The appointment of Sir David reflects the importance of ensuring a smooth and swift transition as HS2 enters its next crucial phase with the deposit of the Hybrid Bill which will deliver parliamentary approval for the first phase of the line between London and Birmingham. The appointment of Sir David is absolutely the right move for a project which is so vital to our economic success and Sir David has an excellent track record of delivery.
	The code of practice for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments provides that in exceptional circumstances, a Department may depart from the processes set out in that code. Sir David Normington, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, agreed that this was such a case and agreed the appointment without a competition to ensure a smooth and swift transition to the role.

High Speed Two

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place (a) a copy of the contract for Sir David Higgins, the newly-appointed Chairman of HS2 Ltd, and (b) details of his remuneration and pension package in the Library.

Robert Goodwill: In line with normal practice we will make public the remuneration package of Sir David Higgins. We have no plans to place his contract in the Library of the House.

High Speed Two

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish financial details of the severance agreement with the outgoing Chairman of HS2 Ltd.

Robert Goodwill: Doug Oakervee has given notice of his intention to leave HS2 Ltd as provided for in his contract. No severance agreement applies.

Legal Costs

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2013, Official Report, column 718W, on legal costs 
	(1)  if he will provide a breakdown of the sum of £3,049,096 spent on external legal advice by case or project;
	(2)  if he will provide a breakdown of the sum of £11,982,668 spent on external legal advice by case or project.

Stephen Hammond: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The figures provided in the previous answer were obtained from summary information held within the Department's central procurement records, which contain information on the total spend on external legal services by vendor for the central Department and its agencies.
	The information requested is held locally within the finance records of individual policy teams, within (a) the agencies and (b) the central Department, where those teams have delegated responsibility for managing their budgets, including accountability for expenditure on external legal advice. To extract the information requested from central finance or local records would incur disproportionate costs in terms of the time required.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will undertake a review of the safety of rear fog lights and their effect on the visibility of brake lights.

Robert Goodwill: There are no plans to undertake a review of the effect of fog lamps on the visibility of brake lamps. Since October 2000, all new passenger cars have been fitted with a third centrally high mounted brake lamp which has the benefit of separating the stop lamp and fog lamp illumination and alert following drivers to a slowing vehicle.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Stephen Hammond: Information on the performance marks awarded for 2012-13 are provided in the following tables. The figures in the table for disabled staff are based on self-declaration rates. Where figures in any category are less than five they are not included to protect privacy.
	
		
			 Department for Transport senior civil service 
			  Non-disabled Status undeclared Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Top 26 26.8 15 31.25 41 28.3 
			 Achieving 64 65.9 25 52.08 89 61.4 
			 Not achieving 7 7.2 8 16.67 15 10.3 
			 Total 97 100 48 100 145 100 
		
	
	The following tables are for staff in grades below the senior civil service.
	
		
			 Department for Transport (Central) 
			  Non-disabled Declared disabled Status undeclared Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1 293 25.3 13 17.3 46 20 352 24.1 
			 2 737 63.6 50 66.7 167 72.6 954 65.2 
			 3 128 11.1 12 16 17 7.4 157 10.7 
			 Total 1,158 100 75 100 230 100 1,463 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 
			  Non-disabled Declared disabled Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1 102 9.5 12 14 114 10 
			 2 530 49.5 34 40 564 49 
			 3 432 40 40 46 472 41 
			 4 — — — — — — 
			 Total 1,064 100 86 100 1,150 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Highways Agency 
			  Non-disabled Declared disabled Status undeclared Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1 286 12 14 7.7 59 7.5 359 10.7 
			 2 1,641 69.2 120 66 488 61.8 2,249 67.3 
			 3 110 4.6 17 9.3 35 4.5 162 4.8 
			 4 — — — — — — — — 
			 No box marking 336 14.2 31 17 207 26.2 574 17.2 
			 Total 2,373 100 182 100 789 100 3,344 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Driving Standards Agency 
			  Non-disabled Declared disabled Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1 1,803 87.3 242 85 2,045 87 
			 2 124 6 14 5 138 6 
			 3 — — — — — — 
			 Incomplete* 136 6.7 29 10 165 7 
			 Total 2,063 100 285 100 2,348 100 
			 (1) Assessments completed after the final deadline date or with incorrectly recorded markings are recorded as 'incomplete'. 
		
	
	
		
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 
			  Non-disabled Declared disabled Total 
			 Performance level Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1 61 3.2 3 3.5 64 3.2 
			 2 533 28 27 31.8 560 28.2 
			 3 1,306 68.8 55 64.7 1,361 68.6 
			 4 — — — — — — 
			 Total 1,900 100 85 100 1,985 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 
			 Performance score (points) Declared non-disabled Declared disabled Status undeclared Unknown Total 
			 41 to 50 1 1 3 1 6 
			 51 to 60 7 4 1 1 13 
			 61 to 70 13 7 2 2 24 
			 71 to 80 43 21 7 3 74 
			 81 to 90 180 69 20 21 290 
			 91 to 100 779 234 79 70 1,162 
			 101 to 110 2,427 436 212 132 3,207 
			 111 to 120 807 117 69 49 1,042 
			 Total 4,260 889 394 279 5,822 
			 Note: Excludes 119 staff with no marking. 
		
	
	DVLA's performance management process is based on performance against set objectives, each objective is allocated a number of points weighted according the importance and priority of each objective (up to a total of 100).
	At the end of the year, each objective is scored out of the number of points allocated to it as a weighting. For example, if an objective has been allocated 20 points, it will be scored out of 20. The maximum score that can be achieved is 120.

Railways

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the future role of open access rail operators.

Stephen Hammond: The Government's policy on open access rail passenger operation is unchanged from that outlined in the Command Paper, ‘Reforming our Railways’, published in March 2012:
	“Government values the benefits of competition that open access can bring, such as greater choice and lower fares for some passengers. However, these benefits must be set against the need to reduce the overall cost of the railway to taxpayers. Open access operators are only charged marginal track access costs compared to franchised service operators who are charged full track access charges. This means that open access operators are effectively being subsidised by passengers on franchised services which are paying full track access charges to support the maintenance and operation of the network. Furthermore, where franchise bidders perceive a risk of open access competition undercutting them on costs they are likely to offer much lower bids. This detrimentally impacts on the taxpayer's interest by putting further pressure on fares and making it harder to deliver the rail upgrades that passengers want. Given the UK's financial position, Government does not therefore at this stage support an increase in open access competition.”
	The Office of Rail Regulation is currently consulting the industry on options for the future charging structure for Open Access operators, and we await the outcome of its findings.

Railways

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish (a) the Code of Practice on ticketing information and (b) the Rail Franchising Overview.

Stephen Hammond: The Code of Practice on ticketing information will be developed over the next 12 months and will be overseen by the Office of Rail Regulation. Passenger representative groups including Passenger Focus and London Travel Watch, and ticket retailers including train companies, will work with the Office of Rail Regulation to develop and agree its content.
	We intend to publish the Rail Franchising Overview by the end of 2013.

Railways: Competition

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase competition across rail markets and lower barriers to open access rail competition on (a) the West Coast Main Line and (b) other rail lines;
	(2)  what his policy is on increasing the ability of open access operators to make a greater contribution to the UK's railways;
	(3)  if he will take steps to promote open access across the rail market;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to better underpin (a) new entrants to the UK's railways and (b) open access operators.

Stephen Hammond: The Government's policy on open access rail passenger operation is unchanged from that outlined in the Command Paper, “Reforming our Railways”, published in March 2012:
	“Government values the benefits of competition that open access can bring, such as greater choice and lower fares for some passengers. However, these benefits must be set against the need to reduce the overall cost of the railway to taxpayers. Open access operators are only charged marginal track access costs compared to franchised service operators who are charged full track access charges. This means that open access operators are effectively being subsidised by passengers on franchised services which are paying full track access charges to support the maintenance and operation of the network. Furthermore, where franchise bidders perceive a risk of open access competition undercutting them on costs they are likely to offer much lower bids. This detrimentally impacts on the taxpayer's interest by putting further pressure on fares and making it harder to deliver the rail upgrades that passengers want. Given the UK's financial position, Government does not therefore at this stage support an increase in open access competition.”
	The Office of Rail Regulation is currently consulting the industry on options for the future charging structure for open access operators, and we await the outcome of its findings.

Railways: Competition

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to boost capacity utilisation on the (a) East Coast Main Line and (b) West Coast Main Line to allow more services to exist which may compete with the franchised operator.

Stephen Hammond: Network capacity on both the East and West Coast Main Lines is virtually exhausted:
	(a) Infrastructure enhancements being undertaken or planned in CP4 and CP5 will create some additional capacity on ECML, but the Government has already committed to the procurement of InterCity Express Trains (IEP) to exploit this capacity.
	(b) On WCML, while some off-peak network capacity is unused at present, it is likely that there will be no spare capacity at Euston station once construction of HS2 commences.

Railways: Competition

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to identify the benefits of a potential market of open access and other diverse rail providers; and what assessment he has made of the role of such providers to cost reduction and improved performance on the railways.

Stephen Hammond: Open access operators are effectively being subsidised by passengers on services run by franchised operators as explained in my earlier answer today (UIN 169873). Open access operators on the East Coast route have typically delivered lower levels of performance than the franchised operator, in part because they operate relatively old diesel trains. Other diverse rail providers, particularly in the fields of rolling stock maintenance and refurbishment, have contributed significantly to cost reduction and improved performance.

Railways: Tickets

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the operator selected for the planned flexible ticket trial will receive any additional financial support from the Government; and, if so, what funds have been set aside for this purpose.

Stephen Hammond: The operator to undertake this trial will be selected on the basis of a competitive request for proposals process. The trial intends to pilot discounted ticket types which will have an impact on the revenue of the selected train operating company. The Department is therefore funding the trial to cover both these and relevant administrative and system costs. As this will be a competitive process in order to secure the best value for money, it would not be appropriate to detail costs at this time.

Railways: Tickets

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether future bidders for rail franchises will be required to invest in new ticketing machines.

Stephen Hammond: Our new franchising approach places emphasis on improved customer experience and contains the explicit treatment of non-financial factors (quality) in assessing and awarding new franchises. In the fares and ticketing review, published 9 October, we stated that, although we will not expect to specify in detail how train companies should upgrade their ticket machines, we want them to have the flexibility to tailor their ticketing package to local needs and drive continuous improvement in customer service. Other measures in the review such as the code of practice on ticketing information, and improvements to the way we manage ticket office changes, will also encourage operators to consider investment in this area.

Railways: Tickets

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which computer systems will be retired as a result of the plans set out in the Fares and Ticketing Review; and whether the Government will be making any contribution to the new ticketing software.

Stephen Hammond: The plans set out in the Fares and Ticketing Review do not include any technical specifications or require the retirement of any specific computer systems. However, the rail industry already has voluntary plans in place to replace its current fares system in late 2014.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has made the following redundancies and redundancy payments in lieu of notice from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department.
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Redundancies    
			 Passenger Focus 0 26 (1)— 
			 Railway Heritage Committee 0 0 (1)— 
			 British Transport Police Authority 0 0 (1)— 
			 Northern Lighthouse Board 40 (1)— 0 
			 Trinity House Lighthouse Service 7 7 8 
			 Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee 0 0 0 
			 Traffic Commissioners 0 0 0 
			 High Speed 2 0 0 0 
			 Directly Operated Railways 0 0 0 
			     
			 Redundancy payments in lieu of notice    
			 Passenger Focus 0 24 (1)— 
			 British Transport Police Authority 0 0 (1)— 
			 (1) Where numbers are five or less, we have withheld the precise number on grounds of confidentiality in line with the Data Protection Act.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Stephen Hammond: The number of staff who left the Department for Transport under redundancy arrangements in each of the last three financial years, together with the number who received pay in lieu of notice is set out in the following table. Where numbers are five or less, we have withheld the precise number on grounds of confidentiality.
	
		
			 Organisation 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Redundancies    
			 Department for Transport (c) 185 94 <5 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 0 0 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 6 0 27 
			 Government Car Service 37 30 89 
			 Highways Agency 99 <5 <5 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 87 36 0 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 50 0 194 
			 Driving Standards Agency <5 37 55 
			     
			 Redundancy payments in lieu of notice    
			 Department for Transport (c) 0 94 <5 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 0 0 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 0 0 11 
			 Government Car Service 0 0 89 
			 Highways Agency 0 0 0 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 13 26 0 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 0 0 147 
			 Driving Standards Agency <5 33 42 
		
	
	The reform to the compensation scheme in 2010 led to three categories of ‘redundancy’, voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy. All three categories have been included in the answer.

Rescue Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment (a) his Department and (b) senior Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff made of the effect of the closure of Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centres on (i) public safety, (ii) the time taken to respond to incidents and (iii) staff.

Stephen Hammond: The closure of Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) has no impact on safety or the time taken to respond to incidents.
	The closure of MRCCs, as part of the already announced Coastguard modernisation programme, has only occurred where we have been satisfied that all relevant information and services have been effectively transferred to other Coordination Centres. Changes to Coordination Centre responsibilities do not affect the location or availability of front line Search and Rescue assets and the seamless transfer of tasking and call out procedure means there has been no adverse impact on public safety or time to respond to incidents as a result of these closures.
	Staff at centres that have closed have been given the opportunity to transfer elsewhere in the Coastguard service. This has resulted in those Coordination Centres that are taking on additional responsibilities receiving additional staff with experience of the new operational area. Where necessary we have continued recruitment campaigns to ensure required staff numbers can be sustained.
	Mutual support is also available to all MRCCs from at least one other MRCC during peak times through long standing ‘pairing’ arrangements.

Rescue Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that no further Maritime Rescue and Co-ordination centres will be downgraded to become operational throughout daylight hours only.

Stephen Hammond: My predecessor announced on 22 November 2011 that the modernisation programme to implement the new HM Coastguard structure would be driven by prevailing operational requirements and would therefore be subject to ongoing review.
	If a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), planned to close as part of the modernisation programme, encounters significant staff retention issues, it may be sensible to consider daytime-only or variable hours operating until its operations are transferred into the future coastguard structure. The vast majority of incidents managed by the coastguard take place in daylight hours and effective mechanisms already exist for transferring responsibilities to other centres if at any time an MRCC is closed.
	I would look at any such cases on an individual basis in the light of the operational factors at the time and against the background of the need to ensure the safety of mariners and the general public at all times.

Rescue Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what operational testing of the Future Coastguard programme his Department and senior Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff have undertaken.

Stephen Hammond: Prior to the announcement by my predecessor on 22 November 2011 of the modernised HM Coastguard structure the new Concept of Operations had been validated by two separate 'desktop' tests conducted by senior coastguard managers, operational coastguards and trade union representatives.
	Detailed incident analysis and workload distribution models have also been developed. These will be used to assess the staffing levels required and the distribution of work within the new national network.
	Operational and Acceptance Testing at the new National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) has commenced with acceptance testing of the new emergency response systems. An extended period of operational testing will then take place prior to the NMOC becoming fully operational in September 2014.

Roads: Lighting

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of whether LED street lighting systems are cheaper to run and maintain than the current system of pressured sodium street lighting, and of whether the capital investment needed to convert current street lighting to LED systems on a significant scale can be justified by a reasonable timeframe required to recover such costs;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the consequences of using LED street lighting in residential areas and the effects of white light upon melatonin secretion and sleeping patterns; and if he will make an assessment of the (a) short and (b) long-term health and behavioural impacts which may subsequently arise from the artificial disruption of these normal conditions.

Robert Goodwill: The majority of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities and it is for them to decide what level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver, what level of funding is required, and what technical specifications to apply.
	While no assessment has been undertaken by the Department for Transport on the use of LED lighting, a number of trials and reviews have been undertaken by local authorities and other organisations. Results from these suggest LED lighting can be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional lighting and also gives rise to better colour identification. As LEDs have a longer life expectancy when compared to a traditional lamp, implementing such a change in street lighting can result in both energy and maintenance savings for councils. However, any benefits need to be considered in the context of the role that street lighting plays in each local area that it serves.
	The Government is not aware of any robust research addressing community melatonin status and sleeping patterns in relation to changes in street lighting technology. There is, however, good experimental evidence that whiter light, as from LED street lighting, is more effective in suppressing melatonin production than the red/orange light from traditional street lighting. Such an effect may be helpful in keeping drivers alert and preventing accidents. Recognising that people will generally be able to use curtains or blinds to exclude externally arising light from their homes, Public Health England do not see changes in outdoor lighting technology as a significant public health issue.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to prevent a significant increase in the number of potholes that are created each winter on Britain’s road network.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport is providing more than £18 billion for highway maintenance for both the strategic and local road network between 2011 and 2021. This funding will help address the issue of potholes, which we know can cause problems for all highway users.
	In addition, the Government also recognises the need for improved highways maintenance over the longer-term and has taken action. In April 2011, the Department for Transport announced a £6 million programme for highways maintenance efficiency to look at longer-term maintenance strategies. This programme is providing practical and adaptable efficiency solutions, for authorities to make informed local investment decisions to support their local community and economy. As part of the programme, an initiative was announced to help assist local authorities deal with potholes on the local highway network. A final report and a follow-up document are both available for download from the following web address:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/pothole-review/pothole-review.pdf

Roads: Snow and Ice

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the road networks are prepared for heavy snowfall this winter.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport continues to liaise with local and national partners to improve winter resilience, so that this country enters the forthcoming winter season well prepared. This includes having a national strategic salt reserve of 425,000 tonnes, working closely with local highway authorities to monitor salt stocks and raising awareness of guidance to enable them to make the best use of their salt supplies. We have also written to local highway authorities highlighting the importance of being prepared for severe winter weather including ensuring that they have robust winter service plans in place and the importance of communicating their plans to local residents and businesses.
	In terms of the strategic road network, the Highways Agency has available a fleet of more than 500 winter vehicles for treating motorways and major ‘A’ roads around the clock to help keep the strategic network open under all but the most extreme of circumstances.
	The Highways Agency is also finalising its preparations for this year’s winter driving campaign, “Make time for winter”. This year, the messages will place even greater emphasis on safety and the importance of good vehicle maintenance, with a focus on drivers taking more responsibility for their own actions.
	In addition, winter planning is ongoing more widely across government. Officials from UK Government Departments, the devolved Administrations and the Local Government Association are due to meet shortly to review winter preparation plans and to discuss cross-cutting issues.

Roads: South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the planned feasibility study of improvements for the A303/A30/A358 corridor will consider these routes as one whole corridor in which the A358 and A30 elements meet different but complementary growth and resilience needs of strategic importance to the South West.

Robert Goodwill: The Government has committed to tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country. The Department will identify and fund solutions, initially through feasibility studies to look at problems and identify potential schemes at a number of locations, including the A303 corridor.
	The Department is in the process of developing the detailed scope of each study, and through a process of engagement with stakeholders is aiming to finalise the timing, aims and scope of the A303 study by the end of 2013.

Shipping: Safety

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislative proposals to extend section 80 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 to prohibit non-professional mariners from drinking alcohol while in charge of a vessel.

Stephen Hammond: The Department recommends strongly that leisure mariners avoid alcohol consumption when engaging in their activity.
	We are working with the Royal Yachting Association and other partners to educate leisure mariners about the risks that alcohol consumption presents, as an effective and targeted alternative to legislation.

Shipping: Training

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that his Department collates information on the number of available training roles for UK ratings in the previous year for inclusion in the annual Seafarer Statistics publication.

Stephen Hammond: No arrangements are currently in place for the central collection or collation of information about the number of available seafarer rating training roles.
	I can confirm that I do not intend to introduce such arrangements as a matter of policy in the future.

Shipping: Training

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the increase in annual funding announced for the Support for Maritime Training scheme will be spent on (a) officer cadet and (b) ratings training; and how many new trainee (i) officer and (ii) ratings places will be created each year as a result.

Stephen Hammond: I anticipate that the increase in funding for Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) will be spent on officer cadet training and will fund between an additional 200 to 220 officer trainees. No proportion of the increased funding will be allocated to ratings training and no new ratings places will therefore be created.

Speed Limits

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has commissioned since 2010 on the effect of reducing speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph.

Robert Goodwill: The only project we have commissioned of relevance is for the speed limit appraisal tool. The guidance can be viewed at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits
	We are considering commissioning research on the effect of reducing speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph in the future.

Walking: Children

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage more children to walk to school.

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport has provided £600 million of funding through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to enable local transport authorities to identify and implement the right solutions to meet the economic and environmental challenges faced in their areas. They include a variety of sustainable transport measures such as suitable infrastructure improvements for cycling and walking.
	59 of the 96 funded projects contain an element promoting walking to schools. Of particular note is the ‘Walk to School Outreach’ project, which received £4.8 million from the Department via the Local Sustainable Transport fund. The programme is a partnership of 11 local authorities, led by Durham county council. The partnership is supported by national charity Living Streets to roll out an outreach programme, aimed at increasing levels of walking to school at primary and secondary schools in target locations. The Department has a close working relationship with Living Streets, and carefully considers advice from Living Streets when developing policy.
	The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), spoke at the parliamentary launch of Walk to School week in 2013 and met children from a number of schools that had achieved success in making it easier to walk to school.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Palestinians

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the case of the five schoolboys from the village of Hares in Palestine who were arrested by the Israeli authorities in March 2013.

Hugh Robertson: Officials from our consulate general in Jerusalem and the embassy in Tel Aviv are following this case closely.

Abortion: Gender Selection

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking in response to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women: Platform for Action which called for governments to take steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child which result in harmful and unethical practices such as prenatal sex selection, compounded by the increasing use of technologies to determine foetal sex resulting in abortion of female foetuses; what recent representations he has received on prenatal sex selection and abortion; what response his Department made to such representations; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: We fully support the UN Fourth World Conference for Women Platform for Action and its reaffirmation that the human rights of women and girls are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. We are fully committed to the realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women and girls.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any representation on prenatal sex selection and abortion.
	The UK Government strongly opposes sex-selective abortion. I condemn the unethical abortion of female foetuses. The UK does not fund programmes which contribute directly or indirectly to sex-selective abortion. Through our own reproductive health programmes, and through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), we support partner governments' efforts to prevent it.

Arctic

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he plans to give to the World Economic Forum Arctic Council.

Mark Simmonds: There are no specific plans to support the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Arctic. However, I welcome the work of the forum in advancing thinking on the complex issues at play in the Arctic. My officials will continue to engage with the international discussions, primarily through fora such as the Arctic Council and Arctic Circle.

Ascension Island

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the future of Ascension Island.

Mark Simmonds: Ascension Island will continue to operate as a UK Overseas Territory with a resident Administrator, under the provisions of the 2009 Constitution. The British Government is committed to the effective running and stewardship of Ascension and will continue to work closely with the US Government and the other users of the Island to achieve this.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of press freedom in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: We welcome the steps taken by the Government of Bahrain in implementing reforms based on recommendations by the Independent Commission of Inquiry. However, one area where we would encourage greater process is relaxing censorship and allowing the opposition greater access to the media. We continue to raise this issue with the authorities, underling the importance press freedom has for reconciliation.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the detention of Ahmed Humaidan in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of the case of Ahmed Humidan. We understand that Ahmed Humidan is among 32 defendants charged with public order offences in relation to an incident in the town of Sitra. The court was due to hear reports about allegations of mistreatment in this case on 9 October. We remain in contact with the Bahraini justice authorities.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the detention of Mohamed Sudayf and Hussain Hubail in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: We are aware of the cases of Mohammad Sudayf and Hussain Hubail. We understand that both individuals were detained in connection with charges related to protests on 14 August this year. We have received reports from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights that allegations have been made of mistreatment in detention. We urge the Bahraini authorities to investigate any allegations of mistreatment promptly, thoroughly and impartially.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 4 September 2013, Official Report, column 383W, on Bahrain, if he will raise the treatment of Ms Rayhana Almosawi directly with the Bahraini government.

Hugh Robertson: Rihanna AI Mosawi was charged with activities relating to terrorism following her arrest on 20 April 2013 at the Grand Prix circuit. We understand she has now been sentenced to five years on charges relating to terrorism. We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due legal process is followed. The UK takes all allegations of mistreatment against detainees seriously. We expect the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights obligations, and adhere to international standards.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the trial of Dr Saeed Al Samahuji; and if he will raise the case with his Bahraini counterparts.

Hugh Robertson: We are aware that Dr Saeed Al Samahuji is currently on trial for charges relating to freedom of expression. The first hearing took place on 23 September 2013. We understand that he has denied all charges, and his case has been postponed until 13 October 2013. We have made it clear to the Government of Bahrain that the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression is a fundamental part of any modern democracy, and must be respected. We respect the sovereignty of the Bahraini judicial system though we continue to urge the Government to act proportionally in all cases, ensure that due process is transparently followed, and that liberties are protected.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Burmese counterparts to end the ongoing clashes between the Burmese military and the Kachin Independence Army in northern Shan State following the agreement signed by the Government of Burma and the Kachin Independence Organization following the peace talks held in late May 2013.

Hugo Swire: While we have not specifically raised the issue of recent fighting in northern Shan State with the Burmese Government, we regularly raise our concerns about Burma's ongoing ethnic conflict, particularly in Kachin State—as Ministers did with President Thein Sein during his visit to London in July 2013. As I said to the House during the End of Day Adjournment Debate on 8 October 2013, Official Report, columns 138-40, we are concerned about recent outbreaks of fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and the Burmese military in Kachin and Shan States. We have consistently emphasised the importance of ending fighting across Burma and moving to political dialogue. We welcome the commitment of the Kachin Independence Organisation and the Burmese Government to the process of dialogue. British embassy officials remain in close contact with both sides, most recently having visited Kachin State in late September.
	British experts with experience of the Northern Ireland peace process have been sharing expertise with the Burmese Government and the ethnic groups, including the Kachin Independence Organisation. We continue to offer our support to both sides, if requested to provide it.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider sending an observer to the next round of Kachin peace talks.

Hugo Swire: We welcomed the agreement between the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Burmese Government in late May which included a commitment to further political dialogue; we are keen to see talks progress.
	We have always said that we stand ready to assist the peace talks between the KIO and the Burmese Government in any way we can, but that we would only consider sending officials to talks if requested to by all sides. British experts have shared lessons from our experiences in Northern Ireland and we will continue to offer our support to all parties.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lidington: In its 2012-13 Accounts, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) set aside £26,419 for purchasing estimated carbon offsets for 2012-13 from the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility (GCOF). This figure includes an adjustment to reconcile estimated emissions in the fourth quarter of 2011-12 and also an estimate for 2012-13 fourth quarter flight emissions. The figure is based on an estimated carbon offset price.
	The FCO intends to purchase GCOF offset credits, in order to off-set carbon emissions from flights originating in the UK taken by FCO staff who are travelling on official business.

Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent conversations he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Energy and Climate Change and (b) Business, Innovation and Skills on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fifth assessment report published on 27 September 2013 on the upper amounts of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic sources compatible with limiting global warming to below two degrees celsius global temperature rise; if he will make an assessment of implications of the IPCC's findings on upper amounts of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions on the proportion of known fossil fuel reserves that can be exploited (i) globally and (ii) domestically; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), regularly discusses climate change with his Cabinet colleagues.
	The Secretary of State welcomed the release of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report on 27 September, commenting that the report confirmed that climate change as a result of human activity is already taking place, and that it will continue to worsen unless we act now to reduce carbon emissions.
	The Government accepts the IPCC's recent assessment of the global carbon budget consistent with limiting global average temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above 1861-1880 levels. The UK's national carbon budgets have been designed to be consistent with this same objective, on the basis of expert advice from the Committee on Climate Change established by the Climate Change Act 2008. The Government does not take a view on what exact proportion of global fossil fuel reserves this represents.

Chemical Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has independently evaluated reports of rebel use of chemical weapons which have come from sources including the Russian Federation Government, the United Nations and the Turkish state newspaper.

Hugh Robertson: Russia produced an assessment of the 19 March Khan Al Assal attack and have shared this with the UN. This report has not been published in full, but we have access to an evaluation of the pages. We have seen no credible evidence to suggest that the Syrian opposition was behind the 19 March attack. Russia and Syria continue to claim that the opposition were also responsible for the 21 August Ghouta atrocities.
	The Joint Intelligence Committee assessment confirmed that it was not possible for the opposition to have carried out an attack on the scale of 21 August and this has been backed up by the UN inspectors' report which leaves no doubt that the Syrian regime is the only party that could have been responsible.

Christianity

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to assist Christians in foreign countries where they are in danger of persecution.

David Lidington: The British Government is committed to defending the rights of Christians and indeed people of all faiths or no faith from discrimination, violence and persecution. We speak out against violence perpetuated against Christians. For example the Senior Minister of State, my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Warsi, condemned the recent attacks that took place in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, which killed and injured so many innocent people. We also lobby for changes in discriminatory laws and practices that affect religious minorities, including Christians, and support UN resolutions on the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief. Freedom of religion or belief is also one of the human rights priorities on which we target our programme funds. Among the variety of projects we have funded is a series of grass roots meetings in Iraq led by Canon Andrew White bringing together people from different faiths to combat sectarian violence, as well as training for government officials on international norms on religion or belief.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department’s policy is on the proposed exploration for oil by SOCO International plc in the Virunga National Park and world heritage site, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mark Simmonds: The UK continues to oppose oil exploration in the Virunga National Park. The park is a world heritage site listed by UNESCO as being ‘in danger’. The UK embassy in Kinshasa has raised oil exploration in the park at various levels in the DRC Government and we have made clear to them that we oppose such activity.

Israel

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all bilateral project and programme agreements between the UK and Israel.

Hugh Robertson: We are unable to answer the question in the time available with reference to all bilateral projects and programme agreements between the UK and Israel, as the information is not held in the form requested. However, details of bilateral treaties between the UK and Israel can be found through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's UK Treaties Online website:
	http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/treaties/treaty.htm

Israel

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel concerning the treatment of Issa Amro.

Hugh Robertson: We have asked our posts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to look into his case.

Japan

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Japanese counterpart about developments at the Fukushima nuclear power station.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not had recent discussions with his Japanese counterpart about the Fukushima nuclear power station.
	However, we do remain in close contact with the Japanese authorities at official level through our embassy in Tokyo.

Kashmir

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the recent tensions on the borders of Jammu and Kashmir; and what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani counterparts on this matter.

Hugo Swire: UK officials in Islamabad and Delhi regularly discuss the situation in Kashmir with both governments, including incidents on the line of control and concerns about human rights abuses. We encourage India and Pakistan to take further steps to strengthen their relationship, but recognise that a solution to the Kashmir dispute is something that both sides will need to develop.

Libraries

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what proportion of his Department's former library currently resides within other Government institutions; what measures are being planned to restore this material to his Department; what proportion of the Library material has been sold; what revenue was generated from such sales; what the assessed value of that material was; what proportion of the material has been destroyed; and what the replacement value of such destroyed or sold material is;
	(2)  what his policy is towards reconfiguring the departmental archives to facilitate access by staff from across Whitehall deploying overseas;
	(3)  how many unique archives were broken up during the process of emptying his Department's library;
	(4)  on how many occasions prior to the closure of his departmental archives foreign governments had recourse to the material in relation to the settlement of boundary disputes.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)'s historical library collection was transferred to King’s College London in 2007 under the terms of a Trust Deed. A departmental minute laid before both Houses of Parliament noted the value of the collection at £4.5 million. Following the closure of the physical library in 2008, some items were selected by the National Archives and then most of the remaining collection was also transferred to King’s College. The last few remaining items of the working library collection were offered to other institutions, or disposed of, The remainder of unwanted items were sold for £2,500.
	Except for a few items retained by the National Archives, no other elements of the FCO's former Library reside within other Government institutions.
	Upon taking up office in 2010, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), personally committed to undertaking work to address the consequences of breaking up the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) historic library. This has included re-opening the old Home Office library in the main building, opening the legal library and setting up a language library within the new language school which was opened in September 2013, and approving plans to establish a new diplomatic academy. Alongside the work to improve standards through diplomatic excellence and learning from history, these steps take us towards our goal of having the best diplomatic service in the world.
	The FCO library spaces have now been restored. The books within them mainly comprise the historians' and legal directorate's working collections.
	There are no plans to restore the other material to the FCO. The FCO is confident that all unique and valuable items were carefully handled, and that King's College London is proving to be an excellent custodian for its unique historical library collection. This collection is also accessible to staff from across Whitehall, via the information management department in the FCO.
	Staff across Whitehall benefit from information services managed locally through departmental libraries. These services are co-ordinated through a Committee of Departmental Librarians, with reciprocal agreements in place to access each other's collections. Pre-posting reading for our diplomats is further complemented by relationships with other academic and public libraries.
	The library at the FCO did not provide information to foreign governments in the settlement of boundary disputes, prior to its closure.

Libya

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the increase in illegal immigration transiting through Libya since the fall of the Gadaffi regime.

Hugh Robertson: The British Government closely monitors illegal migration transiting through Libya and North Africa more broadly. The Home Office gathers information from a number of different sources, including other EU member states and Frontex, in order to assess the risk that illegal migration transiting through Libya poses to the United Kingdom.
	Throughout 2012, detections of irregular migrants in the central Mediterranean region gradually increased, reaching an annual total of just over 10,000. Most irregular migrants departed from Libya's coastal areas and primarily originated from sub-Saharan countries. The institutional capacity to tackle irregular migration in Libya is limited; however, the UK is providing bilateral assistance and support to the EU Border Assistance Mission in order to help the Libyan Government monitor its own borders.

Mauritius

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last held discussions with his Mauritian counterpart.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), last held discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on 23 February 2012 during the Somalia Conference and with the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 17 April 2013.

Mauritius

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a representative of the Government last visited Mauritius.

Mark Simmonds: My hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, visited Mauritius in September 2012 to attend the 18th Conference for Commonwealth Education Ministers Stakeholders Forum. We continue to be represented by a resident high commissioner in Port Louis.

Middle East

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to support recent peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) in the House on 8 October 2013, Official Report, columns 25-28.

Occupied Territories

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2013, Official Report, column 355W, on Occupied Territories, when he will publish specific human rights guidance for businesses on involvement with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the Business Risk Service website.

Hugh Robertson: We are in the process of developing the country specific pages on the Overseas Business Risk website, including country specific advice to businesses on human rights issues, bribery and security (including terrorism threat).

Occupied Territories

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what safeguards have been included in bilateral project and programme agreements with Israel to exclude participation from businesses or institutions wholly or partly based in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem or the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not aware of any businesses or institutions based in Israeli settlements participating in bilateral projects and programme agreements.

Pakistan

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Peshawar, Pakistan following recent violence; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: Regrettably, Peshawar suffers frequent terrorist attacks directed against a wide range of targets. Recent attacks, including against a Church, a bazaar, health workers and police have resulted in a high number of casualties. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has longstanding advice against all travel to Peshawar.
	Tackling terrorist groups is a tough battle, and Pakistan has made great sacrifices in fighting terrorism. The Government continues to work closely with the Pakistani Government to combat this menace, which threatens the people of both our countries.

Piracy

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Mauritian government on joint efforts to reduce piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Mark Simmonds: Government Ministers and officials regularly correspond with Mauritius on maritime security. We have a Memorandum of Understanding for the transfer of suspected pirates, from UK vessels, to Mauritius for prosecution. We have been working to build the judicial and penal capacity to enable Mauritius and other regional states to prosecute pirates locally. The first Mauritian prosecutions of pirates captured by the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) are currently taking place.

Rape

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to adopt the international humanitarian law methods of war procedures in respect of acts of rape carried out during times of war.

David Lidington: Use of rape as a method of war is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Furthermore, the UK is committed to the G8 Declaration and recent Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative UN General Assembly Declaration, both of which state that rape and other forms of serious sexual violence in conflict constitute grave breaches of the Geneva conventions and their first protocol.
	The UK is committed to upholding and promoting international humanitarian law and we are clear that all breaches, including use of rape, should be prosecuted.

Rape

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to work with (a) the UN and (b) international partners to improve access to abortion services for women who have been raped.

Lynne Featherstone: Tackling violence against women and girls, including ensuring access to services and support for survivors of rape, is a central part of the UK's development policy There are many barriers to the provision of safe abortion services, including legal and policy restrictions and the political, religious and personal beliefs held by individuals and agencies. DFID's position is clear: we believe that access to safe abortion reduces recourse to unsafe abortion and thus saves women's and adolescent girls' lives. Girls and women must have the right to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and well-being, and be able to choose whether, when and how many children to have. Our position is consistent with the benchmark Cairo Programme of Action, agreed at the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development.
	We work with a range of partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), other bilateral donors and key implementing partners such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International to improve access to safe abortion, including post abortion family planning services, including for survivors of rape.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Hugh Robertson: The British Council have made the following compulsory redundancies(1).
	
		
			  Redundancies 
			 2010-11 15 
			 2011-12 2 
			 2012-13 3 
		
	
	There have been no payments in lieu of notice in any of the three years.
	No other non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have made any compulsory redundancies in the last three financial years.
	(1) The figures cover UK appointed staff only, figures for locally appointed staff are not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice. [Official Report, 24 October 2013, Vol. 569, c. 5MC.]

Hugh Robertson: In 2010-11, 131 staff left the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), at a cost of £15.3 million. 118 of these left under old exit schemes.
	In 2011-12, 89 staff left the FCO, at a cost of £5.3 million.
	In 2012-13, 55 staff left the FCO, at a cost of £4 million.

Religious Freedom

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess what implications there may be for his policy of the recent report published by the International Humanist and Ethical Union entitled, Freedom of Thought 2012: A Global Report on Discrimination Against Humanists, Atheists and the Non-religious.

David Lidington: Our freedom of religion or belief policy is consistent with the key message of the International Humanist and Ethical Union's (IHEU) report: that international human rights law exists to protect the rights of individuals to manifest their beliefs, not to protect the beliefs themselves. The report records a sharp increase in the number of prosecutions for alleged criticism of religion by atheists on social media. Protecting freedom of expression online is a priority for the British Government and we have consistently argued against attempts to create a new international standard, in order to protect religions from criticism.
	We look forward to the 2013 IHEU report, which, like their 2012 report, we anticipate will provide useful information to help protect the rights and freedoms of people of all religions or beliefs including those who have no religion or belief.

Syria

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in instituting, with the UNHCR, an immediate programme of emergency humanitarian evacuations from Syria.

Hugh Robertson: As part of wider contingency planning, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is actively looking at the possibility of emergency humanitarian evacuations in case of a further serious deterioration in the situations in Syria or Lebanon. The UK is leading international efforts to alleviate human suffering in Syria and has regular meetings with representatives of the UNHCR. Our total humanitarian funding for Syria is now half a billion pounds, the largest total sum the UK has ever committed to a single crisis. We support the EU plan to establish a Regional Development and Protection Programme that ensures support is given to the neighbouring countries that need additional help.

Syria

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on whether chemical weapons originally imported by the Libyan Government under President Gadaffi have been identified in the possession of forces opposed to President Assad in Syria.

Hugh Robertson: We have seen no credible evidence to suggest that chemical weapons imported by the Gaddafi regime are now in the possession of the Syrian opposition forces. Following the 21 August chemical weapons attack, the Joint Intelligence Committee stated that there was no credible intelligence or other evidence to substantiate claims that the opposition was responsible for that incident. It concluded that there were
	"no plausible alternative scenarios to regime responsibility."

United Arab Emirates

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what controls there are on arms sold by UK firms to the UAE to prevent them being passed on to Egypt.

Hugh Robertson: All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria in light of the prevailing circumstances. This includes an assessment of the risk of the goods or equipment being re-exported under undesirable conditions (Criterion 7). Exports to the UAE are subject to this assessment. We have no evidence of any UK arms exported to the UAE being diverted to Egypt.

United Arab Emirates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consular support his Department has provided to Peter Margetts in Dubai Central Jail.

Hugh Robertson: Consular officials, both at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and at the British embassy in Dubai have been providing Mr Margetts with consular assistance since his initial detention. Mr Margetts' welfare continues to be our main priority and I would like to reassure you that consular officials continue to monitor his case closely and will follow up on any welfare concerns.
	Consular officials most recently spoke to Mr Margetts on 8 October. During this call Mr Margetts informed consular officials that he did not need a visit and that he would call when he needed assistance. He also requested that consular officials send a message to your office, which they have subsequently done.

United Arab Emirates

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of the United Arab Emirates on the hunger strike of Peter Margetts in Dubai Central Jail.

Hugh Robertson: Consular officials, both at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and at the British embassy in Dubai have discussed the hunger strike at regular points with the prison authorities. More widely, consular officials continue to monitor his case closely and will follow up on any welfare concerns.
	Consular officials most recently spoke to Mr Margetts on 9 October. He has also requested that consular officials update your office, which they have subsequently done.

Zimbabwe

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work the Department undertook in the period leading to the presidential election in Zimbabwe in August 2013 in relation to the voting rights of dual nationals of the UK and Zimbabwe.

Mark Simmonds: The UK supported the 2013 Zimbabwean constitution making process, which included progress towards the right to dual nationality through its embassy in Harare. The legal position on dual nationality under the new Zimbabwean constitution is still being established, however, as dual nationality was illegal under the previous constitution and underlying Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act. Ahead of the elections, we made clear to the Zimbabwean Government and partners from the Southern Africa Development Community our concern over flaws in the preparations for the elections, particularly concerning the voters roll and key legislative reforms.

Zimbabwe

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Ministers or officials of her Department had with their counterparts in Zimbabwe on the voting rights of dual citizens of Britain and Zimbabwe in relation to that country's presidential election in August 2013.

Mark Simmonds: The UK supported the 2013 Zimbabwean constitution making process, which included progress towards the right to dual nationality through its embassy in Harare. The legal position on dual nationality under the new Zimbabwean constitution is still being established, however, as dual nationality was illegal under the previous constitution and underlying Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act. Ahead of the elections, we made clear to the Zimbabwean Government and partners from the Southern Africa Development Community our concern over flaws in the preparations for the elections, particularly concerning the voters roll and key legislative reforms.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent by his Department on offsetting costs for energy-related carbon dioxide in the last year for which figures are available.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not currently offset any costs for energy related carbon dioxide. However, the Department spent £2,910.00 on the Carbon Offsetting Framework (GCOF) in July 2013.
	This represented 4,279 Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) credits relating to air travel undertaken within the Department during 2011-12.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) spent £2,910.00 on the Carbon Offsetting Framework (GCOF) in July 2013. This represented 4,279 Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) credits relating to air travel undertaken within the Department during 2011-12.

Companies House

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if Companies House will publish a fully open register which is accessible to the general public without charge;
	(2)  whether Companies House intends to become a fully open public register.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Sir Malcolm Bruce), on 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 364W.

Companies House

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans Companies House has to move towards digital data collection and publishing.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Sir Malcolm Bruce), on 10 October 2013, Official Report, column 364W.

Conditions of Employment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what statistics his Department is collecting on the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts as part of its review of the use of such contracts; at what geographical levels and for which sectors those statistics will be collected; and when those statistics will be published.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is not collecting any statistics on zero-hours contracts from employers or individuals as part of its review of such contracts. We have, however, considered existing information on such contracts.
	There is no legal definition of zero-hours contracts. There are, therefore, a range of different groups of workers who could be considered to be on a zero-hours contract (those directly employed by an organisation, but not guaranteed any hours of work). These might include casual workers, or temporary agency workers in various relationships with the agency they are engaged by.
	Therefore, if people include different groups within their statistical estimates, the estimates will differ. These differing definitions, as well as differing survey methodologies, have led to the divergence of estimates for the number of zero-hours workers.
	As part of its review, BIS looked at statistics from a number of published sources, the main estimates from which are set out below:
	On 26 July this year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) provided new estimates of the number of people who believe that they are working on zero-hours contracts using data from the labour force survey. These figures estimated that 250,000 people worked on zero-hours contracts in the 4
	(th)
	quarter of 2012.
	The labour force survey includes responses from around 42,000 households and 100,000 people each quarter. It is the main source of labour market data for government and other analysis. It records information from the perspective of the individual and/or household, and therefore relies on the individual’s awareness of their employment status and their workplace.
	On 5 August, CIPD published results of a YouGov/CIPD survey of 1,034 HR professionals. Based on the survey results, CIPD said that
	“there could be about 1 million workers on zero hours contracts in the UK”(1).
	The survey suggested that 19% of employers employed people on zero-hours contracts. Among these employers, the survey suggested that a mean average of 16% of employees were on zero-hours contracts. As details of the methodology used to carry out the survey and conduct the analysis are not readily available, it is not possible to properly assess the robustness of the results.
	The Trade Union Unite reported on 8 September that an independent survey involving 5,000 of its members in the private sector found that 22% of respondents were on zero-hours contracts.
	Again, information made available does not enable a complete assessment of the robustness of the results, or their applicability to the work force in general.
	Skills for Care (the partner in the sector skills council for social care) estimates that 307,000 adult social workers in England were employed on zero-hours contracts in May 2013.12 zero-hours contracts are particularly common for staff in domiciliary care services. 61% of domiciliary care workers in England were employed on zero-hours contracts in September 2011, compared to 30% of all adult social care workers.
	On 22 August, the ONS announced that from autumn 2013 it would collect information on zero-hours contracts directly from employers on a quarterly basis using one of its large scale employer surveys. The first estimates from this source of the number employed on zero-hours contracts will be available in early 2014.
	Some of these sources publish information at regional and broad sector level, depending on what is considered appropriate by the organisation responsible for the statistics.
	1 CIPD, zero-hours contracts more widespread than thought, CIPD press release, 5 August 2013 at:
	http://www.cipd.co.uk/pressoffice/press-releases/zero-hours-contracts-more-widespread-thought-050813.aspx

Credit: Interest Rates

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the revised codes of practice of the trade associations representing the payday and short-term loan industry published on 25 July 2012.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills carried out two surveys over the summer to test how well payday lenders have been complying with their customer charter and improved codes of practice. The first survey was targeted at payday lending customers and we received over 4,000 replies. The second survey was aimed at payday lenders and 44 lenders responded.
	On 3 October, BIS published a report setting out the findings of the survey. This report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/payday-lending-research-reports
	The report confirms that, overall, most payday lenders are failing to comply with the key provisions of the charter and codes of practice. On none of the key measures tested do consumers say that industry is complying fully. There were particularly poor customer responses when it came to some key features of payday loans, notably on rollovers and the use of continuous payment authority and also when it came to how lenders treat consumers struggling to repay their loans. Consumers generally rated smaller lenders less well than larger lenders in living up to the code commitments.
	The results of the surveys show that self-regulation in the payday sector has not been working across the board. The Government strongly welcomes the tough new rules announced by the FCA on 3 October:
	http://www.fca.org.uk/news/firms/consumer-credit-detail
	They will provide targeted interventions to address the key problems highlighted in our report—with new rules in the regulation of advertising, affordability checks, rollovers, and use of continuous payment authority.

Dietary Supplements

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which food supplements have been introduced into the UK under mutual recognition since 2005.

Michael Fallon: The UK does not have a registration requirement for food supplements, whether introduced under mutual recognition or not.

Employment Tribunals Service

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Government has any further plans to introduce measures to reduce the number of vexatious employment tribunal claims.

Jo Swinson: The Government has made a number of changes recently to the employment tribunal system to address weak or vexatious claims. Following Lord Justice Underhill's review of the employment tribunal rules of procedure, judges now have enhanced powers to apply deposit orders on weak elements of claims. An initial sift process, conducted by judges has also been introduced to help identify and manage weak claims earlier in proceedings. In addition, claimants now have to pay a fee to bring an employment tribunal case. Fees will help claimants consider whether alternative forms of dispute resolution, such as the free conciliation service provided by ACAS, are more appropriate for resolving workplace disputes. From next year, claimants will be required to contact ACAS in the first instance and consider early conciliation before being able to proceed to an employment tribunal.
	Both the changes to the employment tribunal process were implemented on 29 July this year. Early conciliation will be introduced on 6 April 2014. Government will need to monitor and evaluate the effect of these changes before considering any further action.

EU Grants and Loans

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will set out full details of the methodology and indicators used by his Department to allocate EU structural funds to UK regions between 2005 and 2010.

Michael Fallon: Prior to 2007 EU Structural Funds came under the 2000 to 2006 period for allocations. We do not have any information on the allocations methodology used for this period.
	The period from 2007 to 2010 is covered by the 2007 to 2013 period for allocations. Allocations for 2007-13 were made in respect to the EU budget categories of:
	Convergence regions (i.e. poorest regions, West Wales and Cornwall)
	Phasing Out (of Convergence) regions (i.e. graduating out of being poorest, Highlands and Islands)
	Phasing In (to Competitiveness) regions (i.e. in transition to enjoying GDP levels in line with the EU average)
	Competitiveness regions (i.e. other areas which were relatively wealthy in relation to the regions in the other categories)
	1. All regions of the UK which fell into the Convergence (i.e. Cornwall and West Wales), Phasing Out (i.e. Highlands and Islands) and Phasing In categories (i.e. Merseyside and South Yorkshire) all received an allocation according to the EU's formula for those regions for 2007-13.
	2. Allocations to all other wealthier (i.e. Competitiveness) areas outside of the ‘special status’ regions were based on a UK-determined basket of indicators—including population, R&D spend, business start-up rate, academic qualification rates, GVA per capita and the level of worklessness.
	3. A safety net was also applied to Competitiveness areas, based on 2000-06 allocations in order to curtail any sharp reductions. This was set at 20% for ESF and 6.7% for ERDF.
	4. The combination of the Government's application of a basket of indicators and a safety net had the effect of directing relatively high levels of funding to northern areas outside Merseyside and South Yorkshire compared to some southern areas facing similar economic profiles. This was in recognition of the greater development challenges faced by the north. These disparities have not dramatically changed in the past seven years.
	Due to a judicial review brought by interested local authorities in Merseyside and South Yorkshire we are unable to provide further details at present but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Foreign Investment in UK

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that UK Trade and Investment continues its work on maximising inward investment in enterprise zones.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) launched a web-based platform to showcase the sectoral offers of enterprise zones to inward investors on 20 September 2013.
	UKTI is supporting delivery of the Department for Communities and Local Government enterprise zone action plans by working with enterprise zones to identify specific actions to enable them to increase their attractiveness to foreign investors; for example, to articulate clearly their assets to investors in relation to those sectors in which they have the potential to compete for inward investment, and to benchmark their sectoral offer against other European locations.

Fossil Fuels

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the implications for the policy of the Natural Environment Research Council on funding for fossil fuel exploration and extraction of the findings of Working Group 1 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published on 27 September 2013, on the upper limits on the amount of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic sources compatible with limiting global warming to below two degrees celsius global temperature rise; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funds research in environmental science, including research in hydrocarbons and energy, as laid out in its Further Supplemental Charter of July 2003. NERC science provides the knowledge, skills, technology and innovation that helps deliver sustainable economic growth and public wellbeing.
	NERC-funded UK environmental scientists constitute over 10% of the authors quoted in the findings of Working Group 1 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Hibu

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received in respect of Hibu following suspension of its shares in July 2013.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has received 27 items of correspondence in respect of Hibu, which officials have forwarded to the Insolvency Service. The Insolvency Service has discretionary powers under the Companies Act to conduct enquiries on behalf of the Secretary of State where it appears that there has been misconduct in relation to the affairs of any company, including those not subject to formal insolvency. In order to maintain confidentiality and to avoid prejudicing any potential court proceedings the Insolvency Service is not able to confirm whether an investigation of a particular company is taking place.

Higher Education: Admissions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of the abolition of the national scholarship programme on widening access to higher education in England.

David Willetts: The Government has been very clear about the importance of widening participation and improving fair access in higher education—all those with the ability have access to higher education, irrespective of family income.
	The Government is establishing a new framework, with increased responsibility placed on universities to widen participation. This includes arrangements for annual access agreements. Universities plan to spend over £700 million in 2017-18 on measures to widen participation through their access agreements.
	To make sure that we are doing everything possible to widen participation and promote fair access BIS Ministers asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to develop a shared strategy for access and student success which will include advice to ensure we achieve the maximum impact from spending by Government, HEFCE and institutions. HEFCE and OFFA are due to deliver the strategy in autumn 2013. An interim report was published on 7 March.
	Independent evaluation has shown that that there is a low awareness of the National Scholarship Programme. In addition, it was found to have limited impact on students' decision making because funding is not generally guaranteed at the point of application to university.
	As part of the spending review, in June 2013 the Government announced that, from 2015-16, the National Scholarship Programme will be refocused to provide support to postgraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The £50 million fund will be administered by HEFCE. They will allocate the money competitively to higher education institutions, and will attract additional scholarship funding from the private sector or from the institutions' own resources.

Higher Education: Admissions

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate expenditure on (a) widening participation grant, (b) National Scholarship Programme and (c) widening access as required by Office for Fair Access in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

David Willetts: From 2013-14, HEFCE introduced a new, variable, targeted allocation for student opportunity. This replaces the separate allocations previously provided for widening participation and improving retention. The new Student Opportunity Fund contains an element for widening access to higher education for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The amounts set aside for the Fund and its constituent elements are decided annually by HEFCE following receipt of the annual grant letter from the Secretary of State. The Student Opportunity Fund is £332 million in 2013-14. The 2014-15 allocation will be determined later in the year.
	In 2013-14, an estimated £200 million will be spent on the National Scholarship Programme. The Government's contribution is £100 million, with the rest being provided through match funding from universities. Allocations for the 2014-15 National Scholarship Programme will be confirmed in due course. Following the spending review in June 2013, the Government announced that, from 2015-16, the National Scholarship Programme would no longer provide support to undergraduate students. It would be re-focused and become a £50 million programme providing support to postgraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
	According to the Office for Fair Access, institutions currently estimate that they will spend £685 million in 2014-15 on measures to widen access for students from disadvantaged groups through their access agreements. In 2015-16 institutions estimate that they will spend £694 million.

Higher Education: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate expenditure on (a) Higher Education Funding Council for England teaching grants, (b) maintenance grants, (c) Resource Accounts and Budgetary charges for tuition fee loans and (d) RAB charges for maintenance loans for (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16.

David Willetts: Estimates of expenditure will be available later this year. Estimated costs for 2015-16 are subject to final decisions on Spending Review allocations.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) UK-domiciled and (b) England-domiciled students at higher education institutions studied (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Information on the number of full and part-time enrolments is provided in the following table.
	Information for the 2012-13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
	
		
			 Enrolments(1) by domicile(2) and mode of study: UK higher education institutions academic years 2007-08 to 2011/12 
			  Full-time Part-time 
			  English domicile All UK domiciles English domicile All UK domiciles 
			 2007-08 986,690 1,201,975 623,915 762,340 
			 2008-09 1,015,910 1,234,150 654,075 792,935 
			 2009-10 1,068,025 1,292,460 660,240 795,160 
			 2010-11 1,087,255 1,312,295 632,175 760,775 
			 2011-12 1,121,010 1,344,810 596,830 716,600 
			 Notes: 1. Enrolments refer to students in all years of study. 2. Domicile refers to a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. 3. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency

Migration Observatory

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons his Department provided indirect funding to the Migration Observatory in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Migration Observatory is a website based at COMPAS located at the University of Oxford, funded by Unbound Philanthropy, the Barrow Cadbury Trust and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
	As a non-departmental public body established by Royal Charter in 1965, ESRC receives most of its funding through the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The ESRC's role is to promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research in the social sciences, and to provide advice on, disseminate knowledge of and promote public understanding of, the social sciences. Under the Haldane Principle BIS is content for ESRC to determine how best to apply its funding to projects such as the Migration Observatory and the ESRC is satisfied that COMPAS is fully in accord with ESRC responsibilities and remit under its Royal Charter.

Offshore Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry who are currently employed on zero-hours contracts;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry who are employed using daily agreements with (a)employers and (b) employment agencies.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Director, Head of Operations
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions:
	(i) what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry who are currently employed on zero hours contracts (170654); and
	(ii) what recent estimate he has made of the number of workers in the offshore oil and gas industry who are employed using daily agreements with (a) employers and (b) employment agencies. (170655)
	The requested information is not available. Estimates of people in employment on zero hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey but the sample size prevents reliable estimates being produced for individual industry sectors. Information on people who are employed using daily agreements is not collected. According to the ONS Business Register and Employment Survey, the total number of people in the UK employed in businesses whose main activity is the extraction of crude petroleum and/or natural gas was estimated to be 15,600 as at September 2012.

Offshore Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many workers in the (a) rail, (b) maritime and (c) offshore oil and gas industry are currently classified as self-employed.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Director, Head of Operations, dated October 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question, how many workers in the (a) rail, (b) maritime and (c) offshore oil and gas industry are currently classified as self-employed.
	The requested information is not available. Estimates of people who are self-employed are available from the labour Force Survey but the sample size prevents reliable estimates being produced at the level of detail requested.

Overseas Trade: Ethiopia

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent support the (a) Export Credits Guarantee Department and (b) UK Trade & Investment have given to UK companies that wish to do business in Ethiopia.

Michael Fallon: In recent years UK Trade & Investment has provided a range of services for UK companies that wish to do business in Ethiopia. These include undertaking market research, finding potential agents and distributors, organising visit programmes and events at our embassy, providing strategic advice on investments, and arranging programmes for trade missions. From April 2012 to March 2013 UKTI Ethiopia assisted over 200 UK companies.
	In the past five years UK Export Finance (formally Export Credits Guarantee Department) has not provided any support for exports to Ethiopia.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Jo Swinson: The proportion of disabled and all other staff receiving each level is not yet available as some data is yet to be received and analysed. The information will be published as soon as possible on:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/bis-staff-performance-markings
	It will be difficult to provide a complete answer to question (a) as declaration rates of diversity information are currently very low. BIS HR are working to identify ways to address this and encourage staff to complete their diversity information.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows the number of staff in Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) who were made redundant and the number who received payment in lieu of notice.
	
		
			  Number of exits Number of payments made in lieu of notice 
			 2010-11 330 0 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 204 6 
			 2012-13 16 1 
		
	
	The figures above also include those who left on voluntary exit schemes.
	These paid exits were necessary in order to achieve the significant reduction in headcount as part of the Department's restructuring since 2010 so that the organisation can become smaller, more flexible and more focused on priorities. This has resulted in reduced total pay costs which are delivering year on year savings.

Royal Mail

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much will be paid in fees by the Government for all aspects relating to the stock market flotation of Royal Mail; and what estimate he has made of how such money will be spent.

Michael Fallon: The Government's estimated fees were set out in the Royal Mail Prospectus as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Transaction advisory and retail offer expenses including intermediaries commission 10.3 
			 Underwriting fees 11.4 
			 Stamp duty 6.8 
			 Total 28.5 
			   
			 Total (without stamp duty) 21.7 
		
	
	The final figure will depend on the offer size and the offer price.
	In setting the fees for the banks that are managing the Initial Public Offering (IPO), the Government has taken an aggressive approach to ensuring good value for the UK taxpayer. The underwriters' fee, at 1.2%, is less than half that of the most recent privatisation, QinetiQ, conducted under the last Government.

Royal Mail

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effects of including the Postcode Address File in the privatisation of Royal Mail on businesses and public bodies.

Michael Fallon: The Government has ensured access to the Postcode Address File (PAF) through primary legislation. The Postal Services Act 2000 (as amended by the Postal Services Act 2011) specifies that PAF must be made available to anyone who wishes to use it on reasonable terms. This will continue to apply regardless of Royal Mail's ownership.
	The Government and Royal Mail have previously announced the intention to introduce a PAF Public Sector Licence to cover all uses of PAF by the Public Sector. Royal Mail recently consulted on proposed changes to the PAF licensing regime and is currently considering the responses. The resulting changes to the licensing regime will help identify the future direction of the PAF Public Sector Licence discussions and work.

Royal Mail

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with Welsh Government Ministers on the privatisation of the Royal Mail.

Michael Fallon: We have had no discussions with Welsh Government Ministers on the sale of Royal Mail.

Students

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of English domiciled students at English higher education institutions were aged (a) under 22, (b) 22 to 25, (c) 26 to 30 and (d) over 30 in each year since 2001.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the number and proportion of undergraduate English domiciled students enrolled in full-time higher education at English HEIs by age is provided in the following table.
	Information for the 2012/13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
	
		
			 English domiciled(1) full-time undergraduate enrolments(2) by age. English higher education institutions. Academic years 2001/02 to 2011/12 
			  Under 22 years 22 to 25 years 26 to 30 years Over 30 years Known ages  
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Total Unspecified or missing 
			 2001/02 548,950 74 91,920 12 35,025 5 63,425 9 739,320 220 
			 2002/03 563,460 73 101,480 13 35,480 5 67,965 9 768,390 240 
			 2003/04 572,135 73 107,070 14 36,380 5 72,205 9 787,785 355 
			 2004/05 582,230 72 109,315 14 37,395 5 74,330 9 803,275 185 
			 2005/06 604,810 73 110,330 13 39,350 5 75,840 9 830,330 240 
			 2006/07 614,295 73 108,875 13 39,815 5 72,835 9 835,820 65 
			 2007/08 629,600 74 112,895 13 40,775 5 70,925 8 854,195 45 
			 2008/09 651,385 74 115,730 13 42,400 5 70,125 8 879,640 40 
			 2009/10 683,470 74 119,850 13 44,185 5 71,155 8 918,655 35 
		
	
	
		
			 2010/11 697,705 75 124,185 13 44,305 5 69,415 7 935,615 10 
			 2011/12 730,370 76 123,845 13 43,460 5 67,790 7 965,465 10 
			 (1) Domicile refers to a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. (2) Enrolments refer to students in all years of study. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. Percentages are calculated from unrounded figures based on data where ages are known. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency

Students

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) UK domiciled and (b) English domiciled students received (i) maintenance grants and (ii) loans and were (A) living at home and (B) living away from home in each year since 2001.

David Willetts: Statistics on the number of English domiciled students who were awarded maintenance loans and grants by whether they were living with their parents or elsewhere are shown in the following tables. The figures are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Data relating to non-English domiciled students is available from the respective administrations.
	The data includes students at all types of higher education provider designated for student support, which includes further education colleges and alternative providers of higher education. Statistics prior to 2004/05 are not available.
	Statistics on student support awards and payments are published annually by the Student Loans Company. Final figures for the academic year 2012/13 will be available from November 2013.
	
		
			 Maintenance loan awards(1) to student support applicants by term time residency. English domiciled applicants. Academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  Number of applicants (thousand) 
			 Academic year Living with parents Living elsewhere Combined Unknown Total 
			 2004/05 129.3 528.1 2.8 36.4 696.6 
			 2005/06 134.8 584.9 4.0 — 723.8 
			 2006/07 131.6 595.3 3.8 — 730.8 
			 2007/08 129.6 616.5 4.0 — 750.2 
			 2008/09 130.6 640.6 4.4 — 775.5 
			 2009/10 143.5 679.6 4.3 — 827.5 
			 2010/11 143.1 714.3 5.0 — 862.3 
			 2011/12 150.2 756.5 5.7 — 912.4 
			 (1 )Data refer to awards recorded by October 2013 and are therefore higher than the awards statistics presented in the Statistical First Release “Student Support for Higher Education in England”, which makes mid-academic-year comparisons of student support awards. Source: Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	
		
			 Maintenance grant awards(1) to student support applicants by term time residency. English domiciled applicants. Academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  Number of awarded applicants (thousand) 
			 Academic year Living with parents Living elsewhere Combined Unknown Total 
			 2004/05 28.7 63.1 0.5 7.6 99.8 
			 2005/06 55.2 136.2 1.2 — 192.7 
			 2006/07 86.5 229.3 1.8 — 317.6 
			 2007/08 101.2 289.5 2.2 — 392.8 
			 2008/09 120.0 370.4 2.8 — 493.2 
			 2009/10 128.7 413.2 2.7 — 544.6 
			 2010/11 125.3 425.7 2.9 — 553.9 
			 2011/12 129.3 444.4 3.5 — 577.2 
			 2012/13 130.2 444.8 3.7 — 578.6 
			 (1) Data refer to awards recorded by October 2013 and are therefore higher than the awards statistics presented in the Statistical First Release “Student Support for Higher Education in England”. Source: Student Loans Company.

Students

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time students at English higher education institutions were (a) living away from home and (b) living at home in each of the last 10 years.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes information on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Information on the term-time living arrangements of English domiciled students enrolled in full-time higher education at English HEIs is provided in the table.
	Information for the 2012/13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
	
		
			 English domiciled full-time enrolments(1) by term-time living arrangements 
			 English higher education institutions, academic years 2002/03 to 2011/12 
			  Undergraduates All enrolments 
			  Students living with parents(2) Students living away from home(3) Other(4) Total Students living with parents(2) Students living away from home(3) Other(4) Total 
			 2002/03 153,780 539,460 75,385 768,625 165,550 603,165 85,480 854,195 
			 2003/04 160,085 545,650 82,405 788,140 173,040 612,305 91,660 877,005 
			 2004/05 168,885 567,820 66,750 803,455 181,645 634,455 75,650 891,750 
			 2005/06 178,565 594,215 57,790 830,570 192,170 664,500 65,570 922,240 
			 2006/07 178,965 605,160 51,760 835,885 192,580 676,220 58,285 927,085 
			 2007/08 195,600 595,405 63,235 854,240 210,695 659,775 73,005 943,475 
			 2008/09 202,105 609,485 68,090 879,680 218,380 677,825 76,435 972,640 
			 2009/10 223,970 632,520 62,200 918,690 244,620 706,940 70,960 1,022,520 
			 2010/11 227,025 649,065 59,535 935,625 248,395 723,340 68,020 1,039,755 
			 2011/12 237,265 671,945 56,270 965,480 259,385 748,010 63,500 1,070,895 
			 (1 )Enrolments refer to students in all years of study. (2 )Students who report term-time accommodation as living with parent(s) or guardian(s). (3 )Students living in own home, other rented accommodation, private-sector halls of residence or in an institution-maintained property. (4 )Term-time accommodation is unknown, missing, unspecified or simply the student is not in attendance at the institution during the reported academic year. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency

Students: Fees and Charges

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average fee charged by English higher education institutions in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 (i) including the effect of reduced fees and bursaries and (ii) excluding the effect of reduced fees and bursaries.

David Willetts: The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) publishes estimates of the average full-time undergraduate tuition fee level at English Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges for people starting their courses in September 2012 or later.
	
		
			 Estimated average fees per new system full-time student in 2012-13 and 2013-14 
			  Average fee (£) Average cost after all institutional financial support (£)(1) 
			  2012-13 2013-14 2012-13 2013-14 
			 HEIs(2) 8,527 8,619 7,894 7,959 
			 FECs with access agreements 6,836 6,861 6,352 6,356 
			 All FECs(3) 6,333 6,398 6,140 6,118 
			 Total 8,414 8,499 7,803 7,860 
			 (1) 'Institutional financial support includes fee waivers, bursaries, scholarships and other in-kind support offered under access agreements. (2) All English Higher Education Institutions. (3) All English Further Education Colleges. Only institutions that charge tuition fees above the basic fee threshold to home and EU students (£6,000 for full-time new system students) are required to have access agreements and provide OFFA with fee level data. OFFA's analysis assumes a flat fee of £6,000 for those FECs without access agreements. Note: Information on institutional fee levels for both years is available from; http://www.offa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2013-04-Access-agreements-2014-15.pdf http://www.offa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/OFFA-2012.07-access-agreement-2013-14-doc-FINAL-FOR-WEB.pdf

Students: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) UK-domiciled and (b) England-domiciled students received (i) maintenance grants only, (ii) maintenance loans only and (iii) maintenance grants and loans in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: Statistics on the number of English domiciled students who were awarded maintenance loans and grants are shown in the table. The figures are collected by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Data relating to non-English domiciled students is available from the respective administrations.
	The data includes students at all types of higher education provider designated for student support, which includes further education colleges and alternative providers of higher education.
	Statistics on student support awards and payments are published annually by the Student Loans Company. Final figures for the academic year 2012/13 will be available from November 2013.
	
		
			 Maintenance Awards(1) to Student Support Applicants, English domiciled applicants, academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  Number of awarded applicants (000) 
			 Academic Year Received Maintenance Grant Only Received Maintenance Loan only Received both Maintenance Grant and Maintenance Loan 
			 2007/08 1.2 441.8 386.5 
			 2008/09 1.5 377.9 486.9 
		
	
	
		
			 2009/10 1.6 377.3 536.5 
			 2010/11 2.0 394.1 547.5 
			 2011/12 1.3 407.9 574.4 
			 (1) Data refer to awards recorded by the November following the end of the academic year and are therefore higher than the Awards statistics presented in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’, which makes mid-academic-year comparisons of student support awards. Source: Student Loans Company

Students: Loans

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the RAB change to be applied to student loans for students commencing studies in 2013-14.

David Willetts: The RAB charge for new students commencing their studies in 2013/14 is currently expected to be around 35%.

Tobacco: Children

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many traders were found to be selling tobacco to children in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many shops were found to be selling tobacco to children in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how many traders were given a restricted sales order as a result of being caught selling tobacco to children in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in each of the last three years;
	(4)  how many shops were given a restricted premises order as a result of being caught selling tobacco to children in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in each of the last three years.

Jo Swinson: Tobacco enforcement in England, Scotland and Wales is undertaken by local authority trading standards services and in Northern Ireland by local authority environmental health officers. The Trading Standards Institute (the professional body representing trading standards professionals) commissioned a survey of tobacco control activity carried out by English authorities for 2012-13 (on behalf of the Department of Health). Similar surveys are conducted in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The following table shows the number of businesses (independent newsagents; small retailers; petrol station kiosks; off licences; large retailers; national newsagents) found to be selling tobacco to young people under the age of 18 years (ie tobacco sold to the young volunteer).
	
		
			  2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 
			 England 506 failures from 4,477 retailers(1) n/a(2) 770 failures from 4,577 retailers 
			 Scotland 241 failures from 1,408 retailers 291 failures from 1,468 retailers 267 failures from 1,735 retailers 
			 Northern Ireland 206 failures from 1,408 retailers (three year total) 
			 Wales n/a(3) 57 failures from 536 retailers 74 failures from 518 retailers 
			 Lancashire 48 failures from 493 retailers 33 failures from 291 retailers 30 failures from 223 retailers 
			 Pendle 5 failures from 35 retailers 6 failures from 29 retailers 3 failures from 22 retailers 
			 (1) Tested for compliance. (2) No survey carried out in 2011-12. 3 Data is still being collected Sources: Trading Standards Institute; Trading Standard North West; Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), the Wales Heads of Trading Standards and Northern Ireland the Tobacco Task Group (comprised of lead Environmental Health Officers). 
		
	
	Retailers found to be selling tobacco products to under age buyers are liable to prosecution or caution under the section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 as amended by the Children and Young Persons (sale of tobacco) order 2007.
	In England in 2012-13 local authorities applied for four restricted sales orders (RSO)—two of which were granted by the court—and two restricted premises orders (RPO)—neither of which were granted. I will write to the hon. Member with details of the locations of the two RSO orders shortly, and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
	Data on RSO and RPO outcomes in England for 2011-12 is not recorded. In 2010-11 local authorities applied for four RPOs (three awarded) and two RSOs (one awarded). Data on the localities of the RPO/RSO awards for 2010-11 is not held centrally.
	There have been no RSO or RPOs in Wales in the last three years.
	In Scotland, the equivalent enforcement mechanism is a Banning Order. These can be issued to any tobacco premises that are the subject of three or more fixed penalty notices or prosecutions, with one occurring at least two months before the Banning Order application.
	Fixed penalty notices were first introduced in Scotland on 1 April 2011 for most tobacco related offences. There were 212 fixed penalty notices in 2011/12 of which 202 were for the sale of tobacco to a person under 18 years old. In 2012/13 there were 285 fixed penalty notices issued of which 269 were for the sale of tobacco to a person under 18 years old. The first banning order was issued in 2012/13 in South Ayrshire.
	The Northern Ireland Assembly has issued a draft Tobacco Retailers Bill which will strengthen sanctions against retailers who sell tobacco products to children. The Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage, contains proposals that would allow for a restricted sales order to be applied to an individual, and/or a restricted premises order to be applied to a premise. The Bill also proposes the introduction of a Fixed Penalty Notice Scheme for retailers caught selling to underage children.
	Of the 206 failures cited above, 70 retailers were successfully prosecuted at local magistrates courts. An additional 83 formal cautions were accepted.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to prevent (a) sexual violence, (b) human trafficking and (c) further victimisation and abuse of women and girls in Kachin State, particularly along the Burma-China border.

Alan Duncan: In June we announced £13.5 million of humanitarian funding for Kachin for the next two and a half years. This includes funding for a Gender-Based Violence Coordinator who will work to improve the coordination and response of the international community to sexual violence.
	DFID is also supporting the Secretary of State’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. Two proposals have been approved and are due to begin implementation this calendar year (these include activities along the Burma-China border). Through an international NGO, the UK also gives support to trauma care camps in Kachin State which deals with rape cases.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Burma.

Alan Duncan: Conflict in Kachin and Northern Shan States has displaced an estimated 100,000 people. Over half of these are in non-Government controlled areas which are particularly hard to reach with humanitarian assistance. In June this year DFID announced £13.5 million for new humanitarian funding in Kachin State which includes non-government controlled areas. A needs assessment was conducted within camps in these areas in September. The findings showed that food, education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, and security are the key priorities.
	In Rakhine State there has been some progress in the humanitarian situation. A significant increase in addressing the needs of those displaced for shelter was noted in advance of the current rainy season. Challenges remain, including freedom of movement and access to jobs and services. DFID has allocated £4.4 million to address humanitarian needs in this financial year.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to her Burmese counterparts to make education and healthcare a priority in Kachin State.

Alan Duncan: The UK provides substantial support to health and education programmes in Burma, which has helped form significant links with influential stakeholders in these sectors, including with government. Through our representations to the Burmese Government we have helped secure agreement to include Kachin State in these programmes. The UK has also lobbied, with other donors, for the Government to grant permission for the UN and non-governmental organisations to carry out missions to areas of Kachin which are not under government control. These were able to provide relief assistance, including health and education materials, to 22,000 displaced people.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: Latest available figures show DFID's offset at 17,270 tonnes of carbon in 2011-12 at a cost of £121,443 through the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework.

Catalytic Fund

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department will release new details of (a) how the Catalytic Fund will function, including how funds can be accessed, (b) what types of activities the funding can be used for and (c) what countries must do to access the funds.

Alan Duncan: DFID is currently working in collaboration with the other donors who made commitments at the Nutrition for Growth Event to support a new catalytic financing facility for nutrition.
	Discussions about governance, access to funds, what activities will be supported and country focus are continuing.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department will ensure that nutrition indicators in the post-2015 framework reflect both chronic and acute malnutrition and are measured in a way that ensures that vulnerable groups and populations are not missed.

Justine Greening: The UK is working with others in the United Nations and the European Union to ensure that the post-2015 framework finishes the job of the Millennium Development Goals, including on the important agenda of food and nutrition security. The High Level Panel on Post-2015 Development recommended ambitious targets on food and nutrition security,' including on ending hunger and reducing stunting, wasting and anaemia.

Developing Countries: Rape

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that UK Government funds are used to support agencies that provide non-discriminatory care for conflict rape victims regardless of local or national laws.

Justine Greening: In conflict situations UK-funded medical care is provided through humanitarian organisations. These organisations work according to humanitarian principles including the provision of non-discriminatory aid, provided according to need alone.

Developing Countries: Rape

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make representations to her US counterpart on that country lifting its prohibition on the supply of humanitarian aid to women raped in war.

Alan Duncan: DFID is in close contact with USAID on a wide range of development issues including the issue of rape in armed conflict.

Developing Countries: Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of her Department's Private Sector Development Strategy which emphasised private sector-led intervention in tourism and related sectors to benefit the poor through enhanced incomes; what assessment she has made of the degree to which this strategy has been enacted; and if she will make a statement.

Justine Greening: DFID country programmes include projects which enhance the development contribution of the tourist industry. For example, DFID Nepal supports the Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme to harness tourism as a driver to improve livelihoods and bring sustainable, inclusive development opportunities to rural communities in Nepal.

Ethiopia

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of aid has been given to Ethiopia in the last five years.

Lynne Featherstone: Levels of UK Official Development Assistance provided to Ethiopia in each of the last five years were published in our annual report in June. The full report is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-13
	Relevant figures are reproduced in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2008 140.1 
			 2009 219.5 
			 2010 263.5 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 344.5 
			 2012 255.3 
		
	
	Data for 2012 are provisional and final figures will be published later in the year in ‘Statistics on International Development 2013’.

Females

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to tackle gender inequality and promote women's participation in political and public life.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID recognises that girls' and women's participation and leadership in politics, as well as in business and civil society, is of critical importance in achieving gender equality. This is a key part of DFID's Strategic Vision for Girls and Women. The strategy commits DFID to ensuring that women have an effective voice in decision-making at all levels of society. Current programmes include parliamentary reform work in a range of countries, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Pakistan and Afghanistan to increase women's political participation.
	DFID carries out country-level analysis and social impact appraisal to ensure that all UK supported development programmes consider gender inequality.

G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about plans for the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group.

Alan Duncan: DFID represents the UK at the G20 anti-corruption working group and has done so since its creation in 2009. The working group is currently completing the first year of implementation of its 2013-14 Action Plan and is making good progress towards fulfilling its shared commitments. The current action plan and details of the progress made in the past year can be found at:
	http://www.g20.org/docs/g20_russia/materials.html
	We will be working with the Australian presidency of the G20 in 2014 to ensure continued vigorous implementation of the Action Plan.

Kenya

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the UK's annual aid to Kenya has been used to help people who were internally displaced by violence connected to elections in 2007 and 2008 in each year since 2007; how many of those displaced persons are still living in camps; and what steps her Department is taking to assist such persons.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID provided £2.8 million bilateral support in 2008 to help people affected or displaced by violence during the 2007-08 elections. There are no internationally agreed figures for the numbers still in camps but the UK has a broad programme of development assistance in Kenya, including in health, education, and some of this assistance is likely to benefit internally displaced people alongside the wider community.

Nepal

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how her Department's budget is spent in Nepal on improving tourism in that country; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The UK Government provides support to Nepal's tourism sector to reduce poverty and promote economic growth that benefits poor people. This support is aligned with the Government of Nepal's ‘Tourism Vision 2020’. It is currently provided through two main programmes: £4.5 million through the International Finance Corporation to improve the regulatory environment for tourism; and £2.4 million to the ‘Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme’ which provides skills training to 749 tourism entrepreneurs.

Overseas Aid

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that her Department's funding goes to humanitarian agencies that can commit to separating their funds between USAID and non-USAID donors.

Justine Greening: All UK support to humanitarian agencies is subject to rigorous audit and accounting processes to ensure it is meeting humanitarian need in the most efficient and effective manner.

Pakistan

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is providing to victims of violence in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Justine Greening: The UK is supporting a World Bank Multi Donor Trust Fund which helps restore damaged infrastructure, improve government services and create jobs and business opportunities in conflict affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). UK aid also supports the Government of KP to improve safety and access to justice including through supporting community policing in Peshawar.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff were made redundant from the non-departmental public body accountable to her Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Alan Duncan: No members of staff have been made redundant from DFID's non-departmental public bodies in the years requested.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in her Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Alan Duncan: DFID staff that were made redundant in each of the years requested and the number who received payments in lieu of notice in each year is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of departures Number of payments in lieu of notice 
			 2010-11 37 3 
			 2011-12 70 38 
			 2012-13 10 7

Syria

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional steps her Department is taking to prevent and relieve the humanitarian crisis in Syria and its neighbouring countries.

Justine Greening: The UK is leading international efforts to alleviate human suffering in Syria and the region, and has pledged £500 million to help provide essential items such as food, water and medicine to the people in dire need in Syria and the region. The UK's total humanitarian funding for the Syrians is the largest sum the UK has ever committed to a single crisis.
	The UK is currently supporting food for 320,000 people a month, approximately 316,000 medical consultations, and basic essential items to 342,000 people across Syria and the region. I have also launched a new £30 million initiative to help prevent thousands of Syrian children becoming a lost generation by providing care, counselling and basic educational supplies.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she has any plans to use drones as part of its humanitarian and development work. [R]

Alan Duncan: DFID does not have any plans to use drones as part of its humanitarian and development work.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of testing aborted foetuses to ascertain their gender and the nature of any disability from which they suffered; what consideration he (a) has given and (b) plans to give to monitoring to ensure effective implementation of the law on abortion; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many abortions were performed on female babies after 10 weeks gestation, in each of the last two years, broken down by (a) primary care trust area and (b) gestation of the foetus.

Jane Ellison: Sex of the foetus is not recorded on the HSA4 forms submitted to the chief medical officer. No estimate has been made of the cost of testing aborted foetuses to ascertain their gender. Although we keep all evidence under review, we currently have no plans to introduce such a practice. United Kingdom birth ratios are within normal limits. However, we continue to monitor ratios and related data.
	Termination of pregnancy is defined as a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet essential standards of quality and care. The CQC has a system of unannounced inspections of providers to identify non-compliance.
	The Department is responsible for administering the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 (the Act) and will continue to monitor compliance with the Abortion Act through scrutiny of HSA4 forms and approval of independent sector places to perform termination of pregnancy.
	In February 2012, the chief medical officer for England wrote to all doctors reminding them of their duties under the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended).

Abortion

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to raise awareness of foetal alcohol syndrome through public health campaigns targeting schools and local communities.

Jane Ellison: Start4Life includes the advice to avoid alcohol during pregnancy as part of our communications to pregnant women on having a healthy pregnancy but we do not specifically reference Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. Local Health and Wellbeing Boards are ideally placed to pursue and target this issue at a local level, especially based upon their local data, identified need and prioritisation.
	Start4Life is a campaign from Public Health England aimed at increasing the number of healthy babies and children under the age of five through promoting healthy behaviours in pregnancy (healthy eating, avoiding alcohol, stopping smoking, taking supplements and keeping active) and also in the early years of a child's life (breastfeeding, safe introduction of solid foods, establishing healthy eating habits and physical activity).

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) statutory instruments, (b) departmental circulars and (c) other documents his Department published since May 2010 consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967; what plans he has to produce such material in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Since May 2010, the Department has issued the following documents consequent on the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967.
	Annual Statistics:
	Abortion Statistics for England and Wales 2009 (May 2010)
	Abortion Statistics for England and Wales 2010 (May 2011)
	Abortion Statistics for England and Wales 2011 (May 2012)
	Abortion Statistics for England and Wales 2012 (July 2013)
	Abortion Statistics England and Wales—Consultation document (April 2013)
	Abortion Statistics England and Wales—Consultation response (July 2013)
	Abortion Guidance:
	Introduction to completing abortion forms for abortions performed in England and Wales (May 2011)
	Background to abortion notifications in England and Wales (May 2012)
	Department of Health data quality and act monitoring checks made on HSA4 forms (May-2012)
	Guidance note for completing the HSA1 and HSA2 abortion forms (revised May 2012)
	Summary guidance note for completing HSA4 paper forms (revised May 2012)
	Summary guidance note for completing HSA4 electronic forms (revised May 2012)
	Detailed guidance not for completing HAS4 electronic forms (revised May 2012)
	Abortion Legal Requirements:
	Letter from the chief medical officer (CMO) for England to all clinics and hospitals undertaking abortions to remind them of the provisions of the Abortion Act and that sex-selective abortions are illegal. (February 2012)
	Other:
	Interim Procedures for the approval of Independent Sector Places for the termination of Pregnancy (July 2012)
	In addition to the above, the Department will shortly be issuing a further CMO letter and undertaking a consultation on updated procedures for the approval of independent sector places for the termination of pregnancy.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the medical profession regarding cases of sex-selection abortions; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: All Department of Health Ministers meet regularly with medical professional bodies, however, there has been no specific meeting about sex-selection abortions.
	Departmental officials have been in regular contact with the General Medical Council, the British Medical Association, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and other interested professional bodies on this issue. They are currently developing urgent guidance to doctors to provide further clarity for clinicians on this issue.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions conducted on the grounds of disabilities which are rectifiable were performed after 24 weeks’ gestation in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; what each disability was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The number of abortions that are 24 weeks and over by principal medical condition, performed under section 1(1)(d), are shown in the following table. Abortions performed under this section are those where
	“there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped”.
	Medical conditions recorded under section 1(1)(d) are coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th edition) published by the World Health Organisation. This classification does not split diseases and related health problems into those that are rectifiable and those that are not.
	
		
			 Principal medical condition for abortions performed over 24 weeks, residents of England and Wales, 2010-12 
			 ICD-10 code Condition 2010 2011 2012 
			 Total grounds E alone or with any other(1)  147 146 160 
			 Q00-Q89 Congenital malformations total 106 96 106 
			 Q00-Q07 The nervous system total 66 56 69 
			 Q00 Anencephaly 2 3 5 
			 Q01 Encephalocele 1 1 1 
			 Q02 Microcephaly 4 3 4 
			 Q03 Hydrocephalus 4 3 3 
			 Q04 Other malformations of the brain 28 24 30 
			 Q05 Spina bifida 12 9 5 
			 Q06-Q07 Other 15 13 21 
			 Q10-Q18 The eye, ear, face and neck 0 0 0 
			 Q20-Q28 The cardiovascular system 16 17 12 
			 Q30-Q34 The respiratory system 1 4 1 
			 Q35-Q37 Cleft lip and cleft palate 0 0 0 
			 Q38-Q45 Other malformations of the digestive system 1 0 1 
			 Q60-Q64 The urinary system 7 7 7 
			 Q65-Q79 The musculoskeletal system 8 7 11 
			 Q80-Q85 The skin, breast integument phakomatoses 2 0 1 
			 Q86-Q89 Other 5 5 4 
			 Q90-Q99 Chromosomal abnormalities total 29 34 32 
			 Q90 Down’s syndrome 10 17 3 
			 Q910-Q913 Edwards’ syndrome 10 2 8 
			 Q914-Q917 Patau’s syndrome 1 1 7 
			 Q92-Q99 Other 8 14 14 
			  Other conditions total 14 16 22 
			 P00-P04 Fetus affected by maternal factors 7 5 1 
			 P05-P08 Fetal disorders related to gestation and growth 2 8 11 
			 P35-P39 Fetus affected by congenital infectious disease 0 0 0 
			 P529 Intercranial nontraumatic haemorrhage of fetus 0 0 4 
			 P832-P833 Hydrop fetalis not due to haemolytic disease 0 0 1 
			 O30 Multiple gestation 0 0 0 
			 O41 Disorder of the amniotic fluids 0 0 0 
			 Z20-Z22 Exposure to communicable disease 0 1 5 
			 Z80-Z84 Family history of heritable disorder 1 0 0 
			 E84 Cystic fibrosis 2 0 0 
			  Ground A, B, F, G 2 2 0 
			 (1) ICD-10 codes are taken from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (Tenth Revision) published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed with respect to pregnancies with gestations of 24 weeks or more in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jane Ellison: Information on the number of abortions performed at 24 weeks and over gestation in 2010, 2011 and 2012 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Total abortions at 24+ weeks gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2010-12 
			  Number 
			 2010 147 
			 2011 146 
			 2012 160

Avian Influenza

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial resources have been dedicated to deal with avian influenza.

Jane Ellison: Although no financial resources have been specifically dedicated to deal with avian influenza, which includes the influenza strains A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) maintaining the capability to respond to an influenza pandemic remains a key priority and the use of clinical countermeasures is a key element of the defence in depth approach to preparedness for pandemic disease. Neither A(H5N1), which has been circulating for a number of years, nor the more recent A(H7N9) have resulted in sustained human to human transmission.
	Clinical countermeasures may reduce the severity of illness in individuals, decrease the number of deaths resulting from pandemic influenza and ease pressure on intensive care services.

Chief Medical Officer

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the chief medical officer is obliged to publish details of meetings in the same manner as Ministers publish ministerial diaries; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The chief medical officer publishes details of meetings alongside those of the permanent secretary. The latest published information covers the period 1 January to 31 March 2013 and is published on the Government website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health/series/permanent-secretary-meetings

Childbirth

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the gender breakdown of births in each government office region was in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Health asking what the gender breakdown of births in each government office region was in each of the last ten years [170936].
	The attached table shows the number of live births to mothers usually resident in England, by the sex of baby for 2002-2012. Figures are broken down by region of usual residence of the mother.
	
		
			 Live births: Sex and region 2002-12, England 
			 Region of usual residence and sex 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Males            
			 England 290,394 302,204 311,588 313,711 325,046 336,722 344,473 344,137 352,385 352,731 356,251 
			             
			 North East 13,559 13,813 14,359 14,322 14,776 15,106 15,382 15,308 15,840 15,666 15,568 
			 North West 38,389 39,780 41,662 41,927 43,173 44,185 45,225 45,126 45,680 45,469 45,730 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 28,379 29,634 30,873 30,901 32,290 32,959 34,091 33,947 34,344 34,016 34,441 
			 East Midlands 23,123 24,169 24,879 25,245 25,889 26,924 27,752 27,631 28,097 28,401 28,440 
			 West Midlands 31,370 32,687 33,927 33,798 34,491 35,859 36,762 36,530 37,159 37,337 38,090 
			 East 31,144 32,162 33,082 33,178 34,332 35,746 36,758 36,419 37,523 37,646 38,026 
			 London 53,756 56,292 57,845 59,235 61,892 64,546 65,022 66,023 68,302 67,927 68,811 
			 South East 45,317 47,249 48,158 48,051 50,415 52,140 53,355 53,289 54,600 54,936 55,622 
			 South West 25,357 26,418 26,803 27,054 27,788 29,257 30,126 29,864 30,840 31,333 31,523 
			             
			 Females            
			 England 275,315 287,647 295,596 299,317 310,702 318,635 328,336 326,921 334,622 335,389 337,990 
			             
			 North East 12,712 13,192 13,456 13,927 14,408 14,476 14,835 14,468 14,986 14,861 14,723 
			 North West 36,252 38,067 39,502 39,795 40,982 41,762 42,942 42,423 43,519 43,283 43,481 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 27,156 28,289 29,320 29,764 30,665 31,232 32,262 32,411 32,626 32,435 32,967 
			 East Midlands 21,916 22,747 23,366 23,835 24,828 25,558 26,440 26,115 27,135 26,977 27,205 
			 West Midlands 29,665 31,007 31,984 32,158 33,197 34,239 34,964 34,512 34,931 35,686 35,850 
			 East 29,027 30,549 31,168 31,509 32,538 33,565 34,980 34,916 35,478 35,574 36,545 
			 London 51,847 54,145 55,834 56,784 59,006 60,959 62,629 63,222 64,809 64,916 65,375 
			 South East 42,765 44,593 45,476 45,870 48,151 49,098 50,668 50,380 51,834 52,196 52,236 
		
	
	
		
			 South West 23,975 25,058 25,490 25,675 26,927 27,746 28,616 28,474 29,304 29,461 29,608 
			 Note: These figures are based on mother's area of usual residence. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Childbirth

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the month-of-birth breakdown of births in each government office region was in the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013
	In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Health asking what the month-of-birth breakdown of births in each government office region was in the last ten years.
	The table shows the number of live births to mothers usually resident in England, by month of occurrence for 2002-2012. Figures are broken down by region of usual residence of the mother.
	A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.

Children: Day Care

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when each Minister in his Department last visited a child care setting.

Daniel Poulter: The following list provides details of the visits undertaken by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) and his ministerial team to a child care setting in an official capacity, since September 2012.
	The Secretary of State (Jeremy Hunt)
	18 October 2012—University College Hospital, Macmillan Cancer Centre, London (Teenage cancer unit)
	10 June 2013—Lilian Baylis Technology School tour of Lambeth children's weight management services
	5 July 2013—Evelina Children's Hospital; Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London
	12 September 2013—Children's Eye Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London
	Minister of State for Care and Support (Norman Lamb)
	7 February 2013—Oxford Children and Younger Peoples, Improving Access to Physiology Therapy and Children Adolescent Mental Health Services Project NHS Oxford
	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr Daniel Poulter)
	25 October 2012—Medlock Vale Children's Centre, Oldham
	1 November 2012—Peterborough City Hospital, Peterborough (Women's and Children's Unit)
	6 November 2012—Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham
	13 December 2012—Blackpool Teaching Hospital, Birmingham (Children's Ward)
	17 January 2013—Southglade Access Centre Adult and Sure Start Children's Centre, Nottingham
	17 January 2013—Sheffield Children's Hospital Foundation Trust, Sheffield
	24 January 2013—Children's Community Nursing, Coventry and Warwick Primary Care Trust, Warwickshire
	24 January 2013—St Michael’s Children's Centre, Warwickshire
	13 February 2013—Evelina's Children’s Hospital, St Thomas, London
	28 February 2013—University College London Hospital (Macmillan Cancer Centre, Teenage Cancer Hub)
	21 March 2013—Lincoln County Hospital, Lincoln
	28 March 2013—Barnet Family Nurse Partnership Team at Newstead Children Centre, London
	18 April 2013—Springboard Children's Development centre, Carlisle
	2 May 2013—Children's Trust, Tadworth Court, Kent
	2 May 2013—The Red Oak Sure Start Children's centre, Bromley
	16 May 2013—Acorn's Children’s Hospice, Worcester
	6 June 2013—Conquest Hospital, Sussex (Children's Ward)
	20 June 2013—Linden's Children's Centre, Hackney
	11 July 2013—Disraeli School and Children's Centre, High Wycombe
	Parliamentary Secretary of State for Public Health (Jane Ellison)
	Joined the ministerial team 7 October 2013 and has not undertaken a visit to a child care setting.
	The former Parliamentary Secretary of State for Public Health, Anna Soubry, who held this position until 7 October 2013 undertook the following visits:
	25 February 2013— Brook (young people's sexual health services), Bedford
	15 April 2013—Rotherham Institute for Obesity (RIO) a specialist centre for the management of obesity in children and adults, Rotherham
	4 July 2013—Oliver King Foundation, King David Campus Primary School, Liverpool
	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Quality (Earl Howe)
	The Minister has undertaken many visits, although none in child care settings since September 2012. However the last visit in a child care setting was 1 May 2012 to Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham.

Dementia

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many dementia patients under the age of 65 there are in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) East Lancashire;
	(2)  how many people under the age of 65 were diagnosed with dementia in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
	The Quality and Outcomes Framework contains information on registered patients with dementia, but does not contain age breakdowns.
	The National Dementia and Antipsychotic Prescribing Audit contains information that is relevant. However it is not mandatory and so does not have 100% coverage. The audit has data from 45.7% of the general practitioner practices in England and is therefore not suitable for providing a national figure or regional breakdowns.

Dementia

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes suitable for dementia patients under the age of 65 there are in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) East Lancashire.

Norman Lamb: Information on how many care homes suitable for dementia patients under the age of 65 is not collected centrally. Information on care homes with a ‘dementia service band’ but without an ‘older people service band’, collected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Geographical area Number of active care homes with dementia service user band but without older people service user band Number, of active care homes with both dementia service user band and older people service user band Total number of active care homes with dementia service user band 
			 England 351 6,637 6,988 
			 North West Region 55 824 879 
			 Lancashire upper-tier local authority 17 164 181 
			 Source: CQC database as at 9 October 2013

Dementia

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate provision of care services for dementia patients under the age of 65.

Norman Lamb: On 26 March 2012 the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia, which will increase diagnosis rates, raise awareness and understanding of dementia and double funding for research by 2015. The Challenge is an ambitious programme of work designed to make a real difference to the lives of all people with dementia and their carers regardless of their age.

Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on establishing a ring-fenced fund for rare disease drugs.

Norman Lamb: From 1 April 2013 the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) took responsibility for the evaluation of selected high cost, low volume drugs under its new Highly Specialised Technologies Programme. National health service commissioners are legally obliged to provide funding for drugs that have been recommended in NICE technology appraisals or highly specialised technologies evaluations.

Diseases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence take steps to assess treatments for rare conditions differently to less rare conditions.

Norman Lamb: From 1 April 2013 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) took responsibility for the evaluation of selected high cost, low volume drugs under its new Highly Specialised Technologies Programme.
	NICE has worked with patient groups and other stakeholders in the design of its interim methods and processes for developing Highly Specialised Technologies guidance. The interim methods and process guides are published on NICE’s website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/howwework/devhst/DevelopingNICEHighlySpecialisedTechnologies.jsp

Doctors: Foreign Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many foreign doctors were employed by the NHS on 30 September 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The numbers of foreign doctors employed by the NHS is not collected centrally.
	The annual workforce census published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects the number of doctors qualified outside the United Kingdom as at 30 September 2012.
	
		
			 All doctors (excluding Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) doctors with a dental specialty)(1) in England qualified outside the UK, as at 30 September 2012 
			  Full-time equivalents 
			 Total doctors (excluding those with a dental specialty)(1) 133,627 
			 Of which:  
			 Qualified outside the UK(2) 42,536 
			   
			 All general practitioners 35,871 
			 Of which:  
			 Qualified outside the UK(2) 8,686 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (excluding those with a dental specialty)(1) 97,756 
			 Of which:  
			 Qualified outside the UK(2) 33,850 
			 (1) Excludes all HCHS service doctors with a dental specialty. Information about country of qualification is derived from the General Medical Council. For staff in dental specialties, with a General Dental Council registration, the country of qualification is therefore not known. (2) Qualified outside the UK figures include only those doctors in England whose country of qualification is known. Note: These figures show those doctors in England who have received their primary medical qualification in a country outside the UK. This does not necessarily reflect nationality and this must be taken into account when analysing the data. Sources: HSCIC Medical and Dental Workforce Census Health and Social Care Information Centre General Practice Workforce Census

Eculizumab

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when NHS England will ratify the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group decision on Eculizumab taken in July 2013;
	(2)  what discussions have taken place with ministerial counterparts in the devolved regions regarding the ratification of the decision by the Clinical Priorities Grouping in respect of the Soliris form of Eculizumab taken in July 2013.

Norman Lamb: We have had no such discussions.
	NHS England is responsible for commissioning health services for the population of England. NHS England’s Directly Commissioned Services Committee ratified the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group’s recommendations on the use of Eculizumab in England on 14 August 2013.
	A copy of the policy has been placed in the Library.

Eyesight: Testing

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote regular sight tests.

Daniel Poulter: The Government recognises that regular sight tests are an important measure in preventing avoidable sight loss.
	Free national health service sight tests are available to many, including children, people aged 60 and over, people in receipt of certain benefits and those people at particular risk of developing eye disease. In 2012-13, there were 12.3 million NHS sight tests.
	Information about the extensive arrangements for providing help with NHS optical services and other health costs is published in leaflet HC11 ‘Are you entitled to help with health costs?’ The Department has worked, and continues to work, with NHS Choices on the development of articles and videos to raise the profile of visual health and promote the importance of regular sight tests.
	The Public Health Outcomes Framework includes an indicator on avoidable sight loss.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has give to strengthening current advice to pregnant women by clearly labelling alcohol as a teratogen.

Jane Ellison: The Government is committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks.
	As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have committed to putting the advice ‘Avoid alcohol, if pregnant or trying to conceive', or an alternative pregnancy warning logo, on 80% of labels on shelf by the end of 2013.
	As set out in the Government's Alcohol Strategy, the Department of Health has also commissioned a review of current drinking guidelines. This is being led by Dame Sally Davies, the Government's chief medical officer.
	The evidence review will include consideration of any new evidence on alcohol and pregnancy since the current guidelines were published in 2007.
	The chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will jointly oversee this work. We expect the review of evidence to conclude in January 2014.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will develop a foetal alcohol syndrome strategy.

Jane Ellison: The Government's Alcohol Strategy, published on 23 March 2012, addresses the full range of harm from alcohol.
	The strategy recognises that:
	Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are caused entirely by drinking alcohol during pregnancy and so are completely preventable; and
	FASD can be caused by mothers drinking alcohol even before they know they are pregnant, so preventing them is strongly linked to reducing levels of heavy drinking in
	the population, especially among women.
	We will continue to raise awareness of the need for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive to avoid alcohol, including by increasing the awareness of health professionals.
	The chief medical officer is overseeing a review of the Government's alcohol guidelines, including those for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
	The Department will continue to raise awareness of research needs for FASD, including gaps in our knowledge on whether a ‘safe' level of alcohol consumption could be identified, how to characterise and diagnose neurodevelopmental problems in children with1 FASD, prevalence of the condition, and effective treatment.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the scientific paper by Sándor Spisák et al entitled Complete Genes Pass from food to human blood published on 30 July 2013.

Jane Ellison: The Department is aware of the research paper by Spisák et al on the possible transfer of meal-derived DNA fragments into human blood. The research is being assessed by an expert committee as part of the continuing commitment to keep emerging evidence under review, within the implementation of the UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy.

Health

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to issue an update to the document Living Well for Longer: Call to Action to Reduce Premature Mortality.

Jane Ellison: The Department will publish a five year plan for reducing premature mortality by the end of the year.

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which local authorities have not delegated funding to Health and Wellbeing boards;
	(2)  which local authorities have delegated funding to Health and Wellbeing boards.

Norman Lamb: Health and wellbeing boards are statutory committees of English local authorities. As a central Government Department, we therefore do not collect or hold data on which local authorities have and have not delegated funding to health and wellbeing boards.
	While health and wellbeing boards have no statutory responsibility for holding commissioning budgets, local areas are able to delegate funding to a health and wellbeing board if they so wish.
	The boards are under a statutory duty to encourage integrated working between commissioners of services across health, social care, public health and children's services, and are encouraged to explore how the mechanisms for integration included in the National Health Service Act 2006, such as pooled budgets or lead commissioning arrangements, can be used to provide more integrated commissioning across health and social care.

Health Services

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he plans to introduce the new formula proposed by the Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy;
	(2)  whether the previous weighting for deprivation within the capitation formula has been removed or substantially downgraded in the new formula.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England is currently carrying out a fundamental review of the allocations formula for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). No decisions have yet been taken on how allocations will be made in the future.
	The allocations review draws on the expert advice of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) and involves a range of external partners. The review will be completed in time for initial conclusions to inform funding allocations for 2014-15.
	ACRA proposed a target CCG formula in December 2012 which removed the weighting for deprivation that was in the allocation formula for primary care trusts. ACRA had previously indicated that the issue of a deprivation adjustment was one of subjective judgment and not supported by a clear, objective evidence base.
	CCGs' budgets only represent part of the total funding for NHS services. NHS England is considering whether it would be better to reflect the health challenges of deprivation and inequalities by adjusting the CCG formula or by adjusting other funding streams, such as NHS England's budget for commissioning primary care.
	ACRA has been reviewing the various metrics available for measuring deprivation but NHS England has not yet decided on the appropriate metric to use or what budgets (if any) to adjust.

Health Visitors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the optimum number of cases handled per health visitor;
	(2)  what the average number of cases handled per health visitor in NHS England is.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not issue policy guidance relating to the optimum number of cases handled per health visitor. This is because the number of cases handled (often known as caseload), is most effectively and safely determined at the local level by the organisation providing the health visitor service. This approach ensures that local factors, particularly the demographics of the population and the associated level of need, can help determine not only caseload size, but also the appropriate skill mix of staff in local health visitor teams.
	The Government's commitment to grow the health visitor workforce by an additional 4,200 full-time equivalents by April 2015 will ensure the availability of more staff, thereby allowing local services more flexibility in how they respond to demand.
	The Department does not collect information about the average number of cases handled per health visitor.

Hearing Impairment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of support currently available for people with hearing loss; and what steps he will take to support additional measures for those with hearing loss.

Norman Lamb: People with hearing loss receive a range of support including equipment choice, rehabilitation, family and peer support and communication support, including sign classes. The level of support provided is for clinical commissioning groups to determine according to local needs.
	Discussions are currently taking place between the Department of Health, NHS England, Public Health England and other Government Departments in order to reach agreement on the publication of an Action Plan on Hearing Loss. We hope that this will be published before the end of the financial year.

Heart Diseases

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  who the Patient Experience members appointed to the Congenital Heart Services Clinical Reference Group are;
	(2)  by what process and subject to what criteria the Patient Experience members appointed to the Congenital Heart Services Clinical Reference Group were selected;
	(3)  at what time and on what date notice was given to stakeholders of the meeting of the NHS England Board Task and Finish Group held on 30 September 2013 concerning the Congenital Heart Disease Review; and how that notice was distributed;
	(4)  if he will direct the Congenital Heart Disease Review to follow the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and to take account of the outcome of the judicial review case brought against the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is responsible for conducting the new review of congenital heart disease services. We have instructed NHS England to take this work forward on the basis of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel's report into the Safe and Sustainable review of children's heart surgery, and the court judgment in favour of the Leeds-based campaign group Save Our Surgery.
	NHS England is committed to a review that is robust, transparent and inclusive, in the interests of delivering high quality and sustainable services for all patients.
	Information on the detail of the new review can be found on NHS England's website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/chd/

Hospitals: Parking

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives hospitals on the provision of parking for (a) district nurses, (b) midwives and (c) other visiting health professionals.

Daniel Poulter: National health service organisations are responsible locally for decisions on the management of car parking in relation to patients, visitors and staff which will be made to support their clinical and operational needs.
	Guidance has not been published specifically in relation to provision of hospital parking to district nurses, midwives and other visiting health professionals. However, the provision of hospital parking for staff is included in:
	Fair for all, not free for all—Principles for sustainable car parking, published by the NHS Confederation; and
	Health Technical Memorandum 07-03—Transport management and car-parking, published by the Department. A copy of this document has already been placed in the Library.

Injuries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to the NHS on referring/reporting suspected non-accidental injuries.

Daniel Poulter: 'Non-accidental injuries' may refer to a number of issues, this answer covers safeguarding children. It is essential that everyone working in the health and social care system does their part to support the vital work to safeguard vulnerable children.
	The Department of Health has not issued guidance to the national health service on safeguarding children. Under the Children Act 2004, NHS bodies have a statutory duty to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The Department for Education (DFES) leads for Government on safeguarding children. In March 2013, DFE published revised inter-agency statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence published a clinical guideline “When to suspect child maltreatment” in 2009.
	More specifically, the Health and Social Care Information Centre are currently conducting a feasibility study on how to improve NHS data collection on female genital mutilation (FGM). This will improve information sharing for better care of those affected by FGM and will also support prevention and better safeguarding in at-risk communities.
	Later this year the Department is convening a roundtable of representatives from FGM clinics, stakeholders and government departments to explore how to ensure that the collection of data on FGM within the NHS is more consistent, as well as how to improve the sharing of this data in order to better safeguard vulnerable girls.

Lyme Disease

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with Lyme Disease in each region of the UK in each of the last three years; and what steps his Department has taken to prevent the spread of Lyme Disease in that time.

Jane Ellison: The total number of cases diagnosed in each region of the United Kingdom in each of the last three years is:
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 2012(1) 
			 England and Wales 863 905 959 1,040 
			 Scotland 228 308 229 121 
			 Northern Ireland (2)— (2)— 13 (2)— 
			 Total 1,093 1,218 1,201 1,163 
			 (1 )Provisional data: 2012 data has been published in the UK Zoonoses Report but data remain provisional until the next year's report, due largely to the dynamic nature of the databases used, including Lyme. (2 )Five or fewer cases. 
		
	
	Total cases reported include those acquired overseas, often in countries where Lyme disease is more prevalent and range from 18% to 21% of reports between 2009 and 2011.
	Awareness of tick exposure, education and personal protection against tick bites are the primary prevention of Lyme diseases. Public Health England (PHE) issues regular bulletins on prevention of bites from ticks and recently wrote to all general practitioners in May 2013 to raise awareness across England and Wales. Similar advice is issued by a number of local authorities in England and Wales, and across Scotland.
	PHE recently held an open day with patients and professionals on 9 October 2013 to discuss many of the issues on diagnosis, treatment and awareness raising.

Lyme Disease

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protocol is in place for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease.

Jane Ellison: No fixed “protocol” exists for the management of Lyme disease. The Public Health England and national health service websites contain information on this, and refer to published articles. General practitioners are advised to treat the rash as diagnostic and treat cases accordingly. Infectious disease and other consultants investigate Lyme disease as part of the possible diagnoses relating to the presenting symptoms, as for any other disorder and treat accordingly.
	As with most other diseases, treatment and management of Lyme disease are part of general higher professional training.

Lyme Disease

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research into Lyme Disease his Department plans to commission in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: The Department has no current plans to commission research into Lyme disease in 2013-14 or 2014-15.

Medical Records

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are followed when a patient disputes a medical diagnosis on their NHS record; what rights of appeal a patient has in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Where a patient disputes a medical diagnosis on their medical record they can make an informal approach to the health professional concerned to discuss the situation in an attempt to have the records amended. If they cannot agree, the Department recommends that the data controller should allow the patient to include a statement within their record to the effect that they disagree with the content.
	Alternatively, the patient can make a complaint under the national health service complaints arrangements and have it investigated. If they are not satisfied with the outcome of that complaint, they have the right to refer the matter to the health service ombudsman.

Medical Records: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how medical records for children are kept and shared between (a) health visitors, (b) GPs, (c) accident and emergency services and (d) other medical professionals.

Daniel Poulter: Each national health service organisation is responsible for maintaining its own medical records, and for ensuring that personal information is shared with professionals in other NHS organisations when it is in the child's best interests. Increasingly this sharing can be conducted electronically and the NHS has established national standards and specifications in relation to system interoperability to support information sharing between organisations.
	The Department is sponsoring the Child Protection Information Sharing (CP-IS) project which will enable health care staff to see whether any child with whom they come into contact is the subject of a child protection plan, regardless of where in the country that child normally resides.
	Patients—including children—in England will soon all have a NHS Summary Care Record, containing information about any medication they receive, allergies and adverse reactions, and this will be accessible to clinicians working in accident and emergency, out of hours services and community settings.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has commissioned or conducted a population-based evaluation of the meningitis B vaccine.

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not yet finalised and submitted its position statement on meningococcal B vaccine to the Department, and we have not yet made an assessment of the need for a population-based evaluation of the meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero®.

Mental Health Services

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to local clinical commissioning groups on the importance of commissioning good mental health services in areas of high deprivation.

Norman Lamb: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, NHS England has a general duty to issue commissioning guidance.
	NHS England will support clinical commissioning groups and ensure that they are safely and effectively discharging their commissioning responsibilities, and are making progress in delivering outcomes. This support may include providing supportive commissioning resources, tools or guidance.
	The Government has also made improving mental health and treating mental illness a priority for NHS England. The Mandate to NHS England makes clear that everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence based services. This will include extending and ensuring more open access to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programmes, in particular for children and young people, and for those out of work.
	The Government will hold NHS England to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients through the NHS Outcomes Framework.

Mental Health Services: Haringey

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the provision of mental health services in Haringey.

Norman Lamb: The provision of mental health services in Haringey is a matter for the local national health service.
	The Department is supporting local organisations in taking effective action to improve mental health. ‘No health without mental health’, our mental health strategy and implementation framework, and our suicide prevention strategy, focus on specific actions which specific local organisations can take to improve mental health across the life course in their areas.
	We are told by NHS England that in 2013-14 Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group is investing over £30 million in care for patients with mental health needs or learning disabilities.

Muscular Dystrophy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support sufferers of muscular dystrophy;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that specialist centres are appropriately equipped to treat (a) muscular dystrophy and (b) similar conditions.

Norman Lamb: Making the national health service more responsive to the needs of people with long-term conditions, including those with neurological conditions such as muscular dystrophy, is a key Government priority and we have committed to this in the NHS Mandate, the NHS Constitution and the NHS Outcomes Framework.
	The Mandate and Outcomes Framework includes objectives for NHS England to make the NHS among the best in the world at supporting people with ongoing health problems to live healthily and independently, with much better control over the care they receive.
	Further, as set out in the NHS Constitution, people with neurological conditions such as muscular dystrophy should have an agreed, personalised care plan.
	NHS Choices has published materials to support self-care. The Expert Patients Programme also supports people to increase their confidence, improve their quality of life and better manage their condition.
	NHS England is now responsible for the commissioning of specialised services, improving both the quality and consistency of specialised care. These new national commissioning arrangements will significantly enhance equity of access and outcomes for patients across the country.
	To ensure that specialised neurology service providers are able to deliver a quality specialised service, all providers have undergone a process of self-assessment against the national neurosciences service specification requirements, developed by the Clinical Reference Group for Neurosciences. Nationally, this will ensure a consistent quality of service for patients with neurological conditions such as muscular dystrophy.

NHS Property Services

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the net value is of the property portfolio (a) managed and (b) owned by NHS Property Services Ltd.

Daniel Poulter: The bulk of the former primary care trust and strategic health authority estate transferred to NHS Property Services Ltd as of 1 April this year, such that it is both owned and managed by that company. This equated to circa 4,000 buildings with a net book value of around £3 billion. The consolidation of the estate into a single body will allow efficiency savings to be generated.

NHS Walk-in Centres

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his letter of 12 September 2013, if his Department will start to routinely collect data on the number of NHS walk-in centres in England.

Jane Ellison: It is a matter for NHS England to decide what data to collect on national health service walk-in centres (NHS WiCs). Some NHS WiCs are currently classified as a type of accident and emergency department (A&E) and data from them are collected as part of the routine A&E performance data published each week by NHS England. There are no plans to begin collecting data on the number of NHS WiCs.

NHS: Drugs

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation are receiving any kind of anticoagulation therapy;
	(2)  if he will introduce a national patient survey for users of anticoagulation services similar in design to the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure patient self-monitoring devices for people on long-term warfarin are available on NHS prescription.

Norman Lamb: Data on the use of treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF) are not centrally collected. However, data on the percentage(1) of patients with AF who receive either oral anticoagulant drug therapy or an anti-platelet therapy(2) is collected via the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) AF3 indicator. The latest data available is from 2011-12 where this percentage in England was 93.7%(3).
	Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from health care services lies with NHS England. We are advised NHS England has no plans to introduce a national patient survey for users of anticoagulation services.
	It is for individual clinical commissioning groups to commission treatment and services for patients with AF as they are best placed to identify what is needed in their local areas.
	Under its Diagnostics Assessment Programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing guidance on self-monitoring coagulometers for self-testing or self-managing coagulation status in patients with AF or heart valve disease for whom long-term vitamin K antagonist therapy is intended. NICE expects to issue guidance in July 2014. NHS England advises that it will then consider what action, if any, is required, taking this guidance into account.
	(1) The percentage is that of patients with AF whose records show they have been prescribed anti-coagulant or anti-platelet drug therapy in the preceding six months.
	(2) For the purposes of the QOF, acceptable anti-coagulation agents are warfarin and phenindione, acceptable anti-platelet agents are aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyridamole.
	(3)Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre

NHS: Finance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate what real terms changes in financial allocations would be faced by Rotherham CCG if the recommendations of Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy in the NHS were adopted.

Daniel Poulter: We have been informed by NHS England that, using the proposed allocation formula to distribute funding in 2013-14, Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group would have received an allocation of £308.107 million as its fair share: a reduction of £20.979 million on its actual allocation.
	NHS England was concerned that using the formula in this way would destabilise local areas, and therefore opted for a uniform increase in funding to all clinical commissioning groups in order to provide stability and protection.

NHS: Finance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the primary aim of the Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy is.

Daniel Poulter: We have been informed by NHS England that the full terms of reference, including the main aims, of the fundamental review of allocations policy are available on its website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ann-d-tor.pdf

NHS: Finance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department provided guidance to the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation whilst it was revising the funding formula during the Fundamental Review of Allocations Policy.

Daniel Poulter: No guidance was provided to the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) by the Department or any of its Ministers.
	Responsibility for resource allocation is a matter for NHS England as set out in ‘The Mandate’. NHS England is overseeing the fundamental review of allocation policy and will draw on the expert advice of ACRA and involve a range of external partners. The review will be completed in time for initial conclusions to inform 2014-15 allocations. NHS England will consider the recommendations and findings of ACRA as part of this.

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many fitness to practise cases being dealt with by the Nursing and Midwifery Council have been outstanding for (a) over 12 months and (b) over two years;
	(2)  how many fitness to practise cases dealt with the Nursing and Midwifery Council have been referred under section 29 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act in (a) the last 12 months and (b) the last two years.

Daniel Poulter: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulator for nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom working in the public interest to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public.
	The NMC is an independent body and responsible for matters concerning the discharge of its statutory duties, including pursuing fitness to practice (FtP) investigations against its registrants. Statistical information about NMC FtP cases is not routinely collected or held centrally. However, departmental officials have contacted the NMC and the following information has been provided.
	As at 8 October 2013, the NMC was dealing with 4,362 FtP cases, of these 1,507 cases were aged over 12 months and 320 cases were aged over 24 months.
	During the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013, two of the FtP cases adjudicated by the NMC were referred under section 29 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act. Subsequently, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) withdrew one of these appeals. During the period 1 April to 1 October 2013, the PSA has lodged two further appeals of NMC FtP cases in the High Court.

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Nursing and Midwifery Council about improvements to its practice and procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Ministers have regular discussions with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on improvements to practice and procedures. The most recent such discussion took place on 2 September 2013.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Daniel Poulter: The overall year performance ratings for the year end assessments in 2012-13 covering civil servants with disabilities and all other civil servants in the Department can be found in the following two tables:
	
		
			 Table 1: Senior civil servants (SCS) 2012-13 
			 Performance rating levels (%) 
			  Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 
			 Senior civil servant with disabilities 28.6 71.4 0.0 
			 All other SCS 27.2 63.3 9.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Delegated grades administrative officer (AO) to Grade 6 (G6) 2012-13 
			 Performance rating levels (%) 
			  Excellent Good Unsatisfactory 
			 AO to G6 with disabilities 6.3 91.3 2.4 
			 All other AO to G6 25.7 73.6 0.7

Poultry Meat

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2013, Official Report, column 472W, on poultry meat: food poisoning, what proportion of the campylobacter and Salmonella found in fresh chicken at retail was antibiotic-resistant.

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency published the report of a United Kingdom survey of Campylobacter and Salmonella contamination of fresh chicken at retail (B18025) in October 2009.
	This survey found that 87% of Campylobacter and 41% of Salmonella isolates tested were, resistant to at least one antibiotic drug.

Primary Care Trusts: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date his Department was informed of a likely underspend in budgets of Merseyside primary care trusts in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Daniel Poulter: Prior to 2013-14, all primary care trusts (PCTs) were required to submit plans at the beginning of every financial year. Within these plans, the PCTs in the Merseyside area all forecast an underspend, during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, against their revenue spending controls, the Revenue Resource Limits (RRLs).
	At each quarter during the financial year, PCTs were required to provide updated forecasts against their plans. The following table shows the forecast and final underspends against RRLs reported by Merseyside PCTs, at each reporting stage in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Underspends against RRLs 
			 £000 
			 PCTs Plan Q1 Forecasts Q2 Forecasts Q3 Forecasts Final accounts outturn 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 500 500 500 500 500 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,603 1,603 1,606 1,603 1,610 
			 Liverpool PCT 4,768 4,768 4,768 14,768 14,768 
			 Sefton PCT 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 
			 Wirral PCT 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,031 
			 Note: All PCTs other than Liverpool PCT, delivered a surplus broadly in line with their plans. Liverpool PCT forecast a higher than planned surplus at Quarter 3. 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 
			 Underspends against RRLs 
			 £000 
			 PCTs Plan Q1Forecasts Q2 Forecasts Q3 Forecasts Final accounts outturn 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 500 500 500 500 500 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,619 1,619 1,619 1,619 1,617 
			 Liverpool PCT 9,217 9,217 9,217 9,217 9,204 
			 Sefton PCT 2,548 2,548 2,548 2,548 2,548 
			 Wirral PCT 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,001 
			 Note: All PCTs delivered a surplus broadly in line with their plans. 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Underspends against RRLs 
			 £000 
			 PCTs Plan Q1 Forecasts Q2 Forecasts Q3 Forecasts Final accounts outturn 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 2,689 2,689 2,689 2,689 2,689 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,650 1,650 1,650 1,650 1,652 
			 Liverpool PCT 4,941 4,941 4,941 4,941 4,941 
			 Sefton PCT 2,624 2,624 2,624 2,624 2,624 
			 Wirral PCT 3,088 3,088 3,088 3,088 3,132 
			 Note: All PCTs delivered a surplus broadly in line with their plans.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold the information requested centrally. Information was sought from the individual non-departmental public bodies about how many staff were made redundant and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice. This is given in the following tables.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of staff made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to the Department 
			  Number 
			 2010-11 131 
			 2011-12 79 
			 2012-13 45 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice 
			  Number 
			 2010-13 10

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Daniel Poulter: Details of the number of civil servants who were made redundant and the number who received payments in lieu of notice for the periods requested are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of redundancies (both voluntary and compulsory) Number of payments in lieu of notice 
			 2010-11(1) 261 7 
			 2011-12 19 5 
			 2012-13 27 4 
			 (1) Date new compensation scheme came into effect and changes were made to exit payments.

Self-harm: Children

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported incidents of self-harm there have been in young people under the age of 18 across (a) England, (b) Essex and (c) Harlow in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: The following table shows the most recent available data as requested for each of the three years, for young people under the age of 18 across England, Essex and Harlow. It should be noted that these are data from all Essex primary care trusts (PCTs) and Harlow is included in the West Essex PCT.
	We are unable to provide a specific breakdown of data for Harlow, as the lowest level of geographic information available for the three years requested is at PCT level.
	It should also be noted that this is not a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
	
		
			 Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   Mid Essex PCT North East Essex PCT South East Essex PCT South West Essex PCT West Essex PCT (includes Harlow) England 
			 2009-10 0 to 17 57 49 57 33 41 12,944 
			 2010-11 0 to 17 76 76 41 45 37 13,995 
			 2011-12 0 to 17 76 66 33 40 47 13,231 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Shingles: Vaccination

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the provision of shingles vaccinations to patients aged 71 to 78.

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended a universal herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme for adults aged 70 years up to and including 79 years. Zostavax® vaccine is the only market authorised shingles vaccine available in the United Kingdom.
	In 2013-14, supplies of the vaccine have been secured sufficient for the routine vaccination of adults aged 70 and for those aged 79 years on a ‘catch-up’ basis. This is a standard approach to the introduction of a new vaccination programme where initial supplies of vaccine are limited. It allows vaccination of the optimum number of people and ensures we are able to use national health service resources to provide the greatest benefit from the amount of vaccine available.
	It is not possible to extend provision to patients aged 71 and 78 years in the current 2013-14 vaccination season. There will be a progressive programme to vaccinate all those in the recommended age groups. This will mean that in the longer term all of those aged between 70 and 79 will be able to receive the vaccine. How quickly that can be achieved is dependent in part on the availability of shingles vaccine in coming years .

Shingles: Vaccination

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefit to public health of extending the provision of shingles vaccinations to those aged 71 to 78.

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation reviewed the medical, epidemiological, and economic evidence, as well as vaccine safety and efficacy data relevant to a herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme, and recommended that a universal herpes zoster vaccination programme for adults aged 70 up to and including 79 years be introduced, provided that a licensed vaccine was available at a cost effective price. Zostavax® vaccine is the only market authorised shingles vaccine available in the United Kingdom.
	A routine herpes zoster vaccination programme for those aged 70 began in England on 1 September 2013. A catch-up programme for the vaccination of those aged 71 to 79 years will also be undertaken, with those aged 79 to be offered the vaccine this year. Those aged 71 to 78 will be offered vaccination in future years, dependent upon vaccine availability.

Smoking

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the smoke-free homes and cars campaign in spring 2013.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) spent £1.2 million on advertising for the Smokefree Homes and Cars campaign in June 2013. This is PHE advertising spend only.

Smoking

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department plans to measure the effectiveness of the recent smoke-free homes and cars campaign.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England will be evaluating the 2013 Smokefree Homes and Cars campaign through:
	pre and post campaign tracking research surveys with the target audience to measure awareness and attitude and behaviour changes; and
	analysis of other response data such as web traffic, orders of the Smokefree Kit, and online responses to the advertising and social media (e.g. Facebook) activity.

Tobacco: Packaging

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of plain packaging for tobacco products on reducing smoking levels among young people in England.

Jane Ellison: The Department published a consultation-stage impact assessment alongside the “Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products” in April 2012. This set out information on the likely costs and benefits if standardised packaging were to be introduced and invited respondents to submit additional relevant information.
	The Government has decided to wait before making a final decision on standardised packaging. This allows time to benefit from the experience of Australia, where they introduced standardised packaging in December 2012. The policy remains under active consideration.

EDUCATION

Bus Services: Concessions

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will extend eligibility for free bus travel for school students aged over 16, following the implementation of the increased compulsory participation age.

David Laws: The responsibility for post-16 transport support lies with local authorities. The authorities are under a duty to publish a post-16 transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access further education. This applies to all students of sixth form age, whether they attend a school sixth form or another establishment.
	The level of support provided is for local authorities to decide and the arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised travel. However, local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on the needs of their population, the local transport infrastructure, and the resources they have available.
	As well as any support provided by local authorities, young people in many areas also receive discounts from bus operators, which are determined by the operators themselves. Some schools and colleges also provide direct support for their students, for example through school or college buses, and financially disadvantaged students can also apply for assistance through the 16-19 Bursary Fund via their school or college.
	Local authorities and providers are encouraged to work together to ensure that transport support provided by authorities, alongside the Bursary Fund, are used effectively together to help meet post-16 students' transport costs.

Carbon Emissions

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework in the latest year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2011-12, the Department for Education spent £835 on the Government Carbon Offsetting Framework. This offset 1,228 tonnes of carbon emissions from business-related air and rail travel.
	In addition, the Department has reduced its annual carbon emissions from energy and travel by 6,597 tonnes or 29% since 2009-10, saving the tax payer £6.7 million per year.

Children: Mental Health

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what responsibilities a school has if it believes a pupil is suffering from mental health issues.

Edward Timpson: Good schools take action to boost pupils' mental health resilience and intervene early to set those at risk of more serious problems back on track. When children need more specialist support, schools refer pupils to specialist medical services such as children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) or work with partners to access the clinical expertise they need.
	We are consulting on a new special educational needs (SEN) code of practice which includes changes to the identified areas of SEN to promote early identification of underlying mental health issues that might lead to a pupils having SEN. This will enable better provision of support, for example through targeted access to CAMHS or other support services.

Children: Poverty

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how poverty among five, six and seven year olds will be measured and recorded following the announcement that every child in this age group will now qualify for free school meals.

David Laws: Child poverty is measured against four targets as outlined in the Child Poverty Act 2010 (relative income, absolute income, low income with material deprivation and persistent poverty). Figures on the number and proportion of children in poverty are published in the Household Below Average Income (HBAI) statistical release by the Department for Work and Pensions. The HBAI publication includes figures on the proportion of children who are in poverty where the youngest child in the family is aged 0 and four, five and 10, 11 and 15 and 16 and 19-years-old. The recent announcement that all infant pupils will be entitled to receive free school meals from September 2014 will not change the way poverty is measured and recorded in the HBAI publication.
	We are considering the possible implications of universal free school meals on how the Department uses free school meal registration data as a measure of deprivation in all school funding, including the pupil premium. We will set out our proposals in due course.

Children: Self-harm

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision there is for supporting school age children who are found to be self-harming.

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	The Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is there to support children of school age who are found to be self-harming.
	Children's mental health is a priority for this Government. That is why we are investing £54 million over the four-year period 2011-15 in the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme to drive service transformation in CAMHS—giving children and young people improved access to the best mental health care by embedding evidence based practice and making sure whole services use session by session outcome monitoring.
	The Department is now funding the development of interactive e-learning programmes via an ePortal, intended for professionals and to be delivered in 2014. It will extend the skills and knowledge of national health service clinicians, staff working in universal settings, such as teachers, social workers, and counsellors and supervisors working in a range of educational and youth settings. This will also explore whether e-therapy options can be delivered to children and young people, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy.

Cost-effectiveness

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to share back office services with other Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Cabinet Office is creating two independent shared service centres (ISSC) to bring together back office functions across Government. The Department for Education is working with Cabinet Office to ensure that the future ISSC2 will meet our needs and enable further savings and process improvements.

Disclosure of Information

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department’s (a) policy is on and (b) process is for informing teachers and head teachers of policy announcements before such announcements are published elsewhere; and in what circumstances such a policy would be set aside.

David Laws: The Department is committed to constructive engagement with teachers and head teachers.
	For some essential information, there is direct communication with all schools in advance of any wider publication. At the start of each term, the Department produces a package of communications designed for schools, containing information for schools to act on, or new information which it would be useful for them to know.
	In other cases, there would be consultation in advance of a wider announcement; often through a formal and extensive process. There are also regular meetings between officials, Ministers and a wide range of stakeholders who represent teachers and head teachers about the potential impact of education policy on their members.

Education: Armed Forces

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the current education curriculum at AFC Harrogate (namely functional skills at Level 1 in English and mathematics and a level 2 IT certificate) meets the requirements for compulsory education of 16 to 18-year-olds.

David Laws: From the start of the 2013/14 academic year, young people will be required to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17. Young people can participate through full-time education, an apprenticeship, or work and volunteering combined with part-time education or training.
	Serving in the armed forces provides relevant training for young people and provides an excellent career route. As the terms of service and training within the armed forces vary, we have made provision so that a serving member of the armed forces who is participating in the training given to new members, such as those studying at AFC Harrogate, will automatically be treated as meeting their duty to participate without any requirement to deliver specific subjects or programmes.
	For the purposes of these regulations, "armed forces" means the naval, military or air forces of the Crown, but not the reserve forces.

Free School Meals

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions his Department has had on legally obliging sixth forms to provide free school meals to eligible students.

David Laws: Under current legislation, school sixth forms are obliged to provide free school meals to students who meet the free school meal entitlement criteria. There is currently no similar duty in relation to college students.
	On 18 September, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that, from September 2014, the Government will extend entitlement to free meals to disadvantaged students in further education and sixth form colleges.

Free School Meals

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements are being made to facilitate the registration of those entitled to free school meals in order to ensure that schools are entitled to the pupil premium; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: Free school meal registration is the responsibility of schools and local authorities. The Department's Eligibility Checking Service, which was first introduced in 2009 and is now used by the majority of local authorities, has made it much easier and quicker to check which families are entitled to free school meals for their children. National free school meals take-up has increased by 80,000 between 2010 and 2013.
	The pupil premium is allocated to schools on the basis of the number of pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years. This information is collected through the School Census in January.
	We recently announced that all infant pupils will be entitled to receive free school meals from September 2014. Pupil premium funding for 2014-15 will not be affected by this change as the allocations are informed by School Census data collected in January 2014.

Free Schools: Health Services

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) health checks and (b) nursing care must be provided at free schools.

Edward Timpson: Since April 2013, local authorities have held statutory responsibility for commissioning public health services for children. Health checks and nursing care for pupils are not dependent on the type of school a child attends. Pupils in free schools will have the same access to health care programmes including immunisation, screening programmes and vision and hearing checks as pupils in other schools.

GCSE

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects of mid-course changes to GCSE qualifications on (a) schools and (b) students taking such examinations in the current academic year.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education has made no mid-course changes to GCSE courses in the current academic year.
	Changes were announced on 29 September 2013 to the way those qualifications will be counted in school performance measures. This is to address the significant rise in early entry to GCSEs in recent years. Evidence from the Department's analysis and Ofsted surveys shows that extensive early entry is not in students' best interests and we are concerned that the current level of early entry threatens the integrity of the examinations system. In these circumstances it is right that we act quickly. Schools that have been using early entry appropriately should have no need to change their plans.
	In August the qualifications regulator, Ofqual, announced changes to the way in which the assessment of speaking and listening is reported for GCSE in both English and English language. These changes will take effect from summer 2014. The regulator made this decision, following consultation, having reviewed evidence that current assessment arrangements do not produce fair outcomes for all students. Ofqual, which is independent of the Department, concluded that changing the reporting of speaking and listening mid-course was the best way to safeguard standards.

Languages: Education

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that any gains in modern language learning at primary level result in increased uptake at secondary level;
	(2)  what policies he is implementing to strengthen modern language provision and uptake at secondary and tertiary level.

Elizabeth Truss: A foreign language will be compulsory for all 7 to 11-year-olds in maintained schools from September 2014. Secondary schools should work collaboratively with their primary feeder schools to decide together which languages should be offered.
	The introduction of the English baccalaureate performance measure—which includes a modern or ancient language—is already making a real difference to the number of entries for languages at GCSE, which increased by 16% between 2012 and 2013. We expect these increases to feed through into A-level and in turn increase take-up in higher education.

Learning Disability

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were assessed as having profound and multiple learning difficulties in (a) the UK, (b) North West England, (c) Cheshire, (d) Merseyside and (e) the Wirral in the latest year for which figures are available.

Edward Timpson: Information on children assessed as haying profound and multiple learning difficulties is captured as part of assessments for Special educational needs (SEN) and if applicable, is recorded as the child's primary need for those with a statement of SEN or at School Action Plus. Information on the number of pupils in England, the North West and each local authority within the North West region, with profound and multiple learning difficulties is included in the table.
	Data for Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral local authorities and these have been totalled in the table to provide a separate figure for Merseyside.
	Full information on pupils with SEN can be found in the ‘Special Educational Needs in England, January 2013’ Statistical First Release(1).
	(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational -needs-in-england-january-2013
	
		
			 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) or at School Action Plus with a primary need of profound and multiple learning difficulty(1, 2). January 2013—By region and local authority area in England 
			 LA code  Region/local authority Total pupils(3) (number) 
			   England(4) 10,525 
			     
			   Merseyside(4, 5) 280 
			     
			   North West(4) 1,645 
			 E06000008 889 Blackburn with Darwen 50 
			 E06000009 890 Blackpool 26 
			 E08000001 350 Bolton 71 
			 E08000002 351 Bury 71 
			 E06000049 895 Cheshire East 60 
			 E06000050 896 Cheshire West and Chester 49 
		
	
	
		
			 E10000006 909 Cumbria 121 
			 E06000006 876 Halton 38 
			 E08000011 340 Knowsley 52 
			 E10000017 888 Lancashire 220 
			 E08000012 341 Liverpool 91 
			 E08000003 352 Manchester 144 
			 E08000004 353 Oldham 66 
			 E08000005 354 Rochdale 91 
			 E08000006 355 Salford 54 
			 E08000014 343 Sefton 52 
			 E08000013 342 St Helens 24 
			 E08000007 356 Stockport 85 
			 E08000008 357 Tameside 60 
			 E08000009 358 Trafford 52 
			 E06000007 877 Warrington 17 
			 E08000010 359 Wigan 87 
			 E08000015 344 Wirral 62 
			 (1) Pupils at School Action Plus and those pupils with a statement of SEN provided information on their primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need. Information on primary need only is given here. (2 )Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. (3) Includes all state-funded primary schools, state-funded secondary schools, middle schools, city technology colleges, university technology colleges, studio schools, maintained and non-maintained special schools and academies, including free schools. (4) National and regional totals and totals across local authorities have been rounded to the nearest 5. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. (5) Includes Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral local authorities.

Learning Disability

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the median cost of providing education for a child with profound and multiple learning difficulties in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the range of such costs was.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect data on the cost of educating pupils with special needs. However, there is published information about the costs of special schools. Local authorities report expenditure through the annual section 251 return. Pupil numbers are available from the schools census. Using these two datasets, it is possible to calculate the minimum, maximum and median spend per pupil in maintained special schools by local authority.
	
		
			 2011-12 spend per pupil (FTE) in maintained special schools by local authority 
			  £ 
			 Minimum 9,913 
			 Maximum 168,025 
			 Median 29,010 
		
	
	The latest available out-turn data from section 251 and the census numbers used to calculate the above per pupil spend relates to the 2011-12 financial year. Data for 2012-13 will be published in January 2014.

Music: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what progress he has made on ensuring that all young people have the chance to learn an instrument and receive top quality music education;
	(2)  what his plans are for the funding of music hubs beyond 2015.
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the implementation of the National Music Plan.

Elizabeth Truss: In November 2011 we published the National Plan for Music Education and announced that, from 2012, music education would be provided by a new national network of music education hubs to drive excellence in music education across England.
	Since September 2012, 123 hubs have been working to deliver four core roles. These are: to ensure that every child aged five to 18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument (other than voice) through whole-class ensemble teaching; to provide opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform from an early stage; to ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people; and to develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil sings regularly and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area.
	Hubs can also choose to deliver "extension" roles such as staff training, instrument loan services, or large scale performance opportunities with professional musicians.
	The hubs are managed by the Arts Council England which collects data from hubs annually to inform an assessment of impact. The first data, covering 2012/13 will be published in the spring of 2014.
	We have also confirmed music as a statutory subject for all children between the ages of five and 14 in the revised national curriculum. The revised programmes of study for music have an increased focus on the need for activities to be undertaken 'musically' with reference to learning to play a musical instrument and an increased focus on singing.
	No decisions have yet been made on funding hubs beyond 2015.
	Until recently, the implementation of the National Plan for Music Education (NPME) was overseen by the NPME Monitoring Board which I jointly chaired with the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries. It will now be overseen by a new Cultural Education Board which we will continue to chair alongside a new joint chair, Darren Henley, whose reviews of music and cultural education underpin activity in this area. The new Board meets for the first time at the end of this month.

Music: Education

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has provided for music education for each pupil in each financial year since 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: Funding for music education programmes is not allocated on a per pupil basis.

National Curriculum Tests

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests 
	(1)  how many papers were sent to schools in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013;
	(2)  how many papers were printed in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: Test paper quantities are based on the information that schools provide during the test orders and pupil registration windows. In 2012, 1,091,044 test packs were printed and collated, with 1,035,289 dispatched to schools. In 2013, 955,032 test packs were printed and collated, with 925,967 dispatched to schools.
	The amount of contingency applied has been refined over the years. The number of surplus test papers has been reduced from 167,966 in 2009 to 29,065 in 2013. From a manufacturing cost and time perspective, it is more efficient to over manufacture than to go back to printing should the initial volumes not meet the number of pupils registered.
	Additional packs are printed as a contingency specifically for KS1 and KS2 L3-5 tests. KS2 L6 test papers are manufactured against the numbers from pupil registration, with contingencies specifically for those pupils only, so there is no surplus stock of L6 papers.

National Curriculum Tests

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests, how many of the schools which made a formal complaint were successful.

Elizabeth Truss: None of the schools who made a formal complaint had a legitimate reason for missing the level 6 pupil registration deadline in 2013; therefore there were no successful appeals against the Standards and Testing Agency's decisions.

National Curriculum Tests

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 697W, on National Curriculum tests, what happens when schools report exceptional circumstances (a) on and (b) after the deadline.

Elizabeth Truss: Schools that reported exceptional circumstances on or after the deadline were considered for late registration on a case-by-case basis by the Standards and Testing Agency.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2012-13.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is set out in the following tables. Two tables are provided because different performance management arrangements exist for senior civil servants (SCS) and staff below SCS level.
	
		
			 Performance management out-turn figures for senior civil servants (SCS pay bands 1-3) 
			 Percentage 
			 Performance rating Proportion of disabled staff Proportion of all other staff including those who have not declared 
			 Top 0 24.1 
			 Achieving 100 59.2 
			 Low 0 16.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Performance management out-turn figures for grades executive assistant to grade 6 
			 Percentage 
			 Performance rating Proportion of disabled staff Proportion of all other staff including those who have not declared 
			 Exceeded 16.7 24 
			 Achieved 64 66.6 
			 Must improve 19.3 9.4

Pre-school Education

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the shortfall in (a) supply of and (b) demand for two-year old nursery places available in (i) Huddersfield, (ii) Kirklees, (iii) Yorkshire and (iv) England.

Elizabeth Truss: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to secure sufficient places for two-year-olds under the programme introduced this September. There is no evidence that there is a shortfall in the supply of places.
	The Department has previously published estimates of the number of children who will be eligible under each phase of the programme of early learning for two-year-olds by local authority for September 2013. We do not have estimates by parliamentary constituency and so cannot provide the figure for Huddersfield. The total number of children we expect to be able to access places for: (i) Kirklees is 1,118, (ii) the Yorkshire and Humber region is 13,667, and (iii) England as a whole is 130,000.

Pre-school Education: Inspections

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to ensure that Prospects is a suitable provider of early years education inspections and can deliver value for money;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to ensure that Tribal Group (a) is a suitable provider of early years education inspections and (b) can deliver value for money;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure the quality, consistency and efficacy of the inspections processes for early years education providers.

Elizabeth Truss: These questions are a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his response will be placed in the House Libraries.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department does not hold this information centrally. Those non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) still in existence have provided the Department with their figures, shown in the table. For those NDPBs that have now closed we have used previously provided data where available.
	
		
			  Voluntary release Compulsory release Payments in lieu of notice 
			 April 2010 to March 2011    
			 British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) 143 27 (1)— 
			 Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) 79 40 15 
			 Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) 11 0 (1)— 
			 General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) 0 0 (1)— 
			 National College (NC) 20 0 (1)— 
			 Office for the Children's Commissioner (OCC) 0 0 0 
			 Office of Qualifications and Examinations regulation (Ofqual) 0 0 0 
			 Office of Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) 26 0 0 
			 Partnerships for Schools (PFS) 12 0 (1)— 
			 Qualifications and Curriculum development Agency (QCDA) 140 0 (1)— 
			 School Food Trust (SFT) 12 4 (2)— 
			 Training and Development Agency (TDA) 21 0 (1)— 
			 Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) 0 0 (1)— 
			     
			 April 2011 to March 2012    
			 Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) 19 67 22 
			 Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) 34 0 (1)— 
			 General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) 80 7 (1)— 
			 National College (NC) 30 0 (1)— 
			 Office for the Children's Commissioner (OCC) 1 0 1 
			 Office of Qualifications and Examinations regulation (Ofqual) 0 0 0 
			 Office of Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) 1 0 1 
			 Partnerships for Schools (PFS) 21 0 (1)— 
			 Qualifications and Curriculum development Agency (QCDA) 50 0 (1)— 
			 School Food Trust (SFT) 1 4 (2)— 
			 Training and Development Agency (TDA) 0 0 (1)— 
			 Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) 5 0 (1)— 
			     
			 April 2012 to March 2013    
			 Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) 14 9 5 
			 Office for the Children's Commissioner (OCC) 1 0 1 
			 Office of Qualifications and Examinations regulation (Ofqual) 16 0 12 
			 Office of Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) 139 0 20 
			 (1) NDPB closed. Information no longer available. (2) No longer an NDPB. Information not available.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Elizabeth Truss: Since 2010, the Department has not made any staff compulsorily redundant, but has agreed voluntary early releases. These releases contribute to making a reduction in the Department's admin budget of 50% in real terms, saving £176 million a year by March 2015.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of voluntary early releases Number of payments in lieu of notice 
			 2012-13 466 20 
			 2011-12 177 34 
			 2010-11 141 1

Schools: Sports

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage children to take part in school sports.

Edward Timpson: We want to ensure that all children have the chance to enjoy sport in school and to compete against their peers. In March 2013 we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year for each of the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools.
	PE is, and will remain, compulsory at all four key stages of the national curriculum. The new programme of study published in September 2013 places a greater emphasis on competitive sport, while also exemplifying a range of team and individual sports and other activities, including dance. These will appeal to a broad range of pupils.
	We are also supporting the cross-government School Games Programme and applaud its impact on competitive sport in schools and on encouraging more young people to participate in sport.

Schools: Standards

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve the standards of the poorest performing schools.

David Laws: The Department supports the poorest performing schools, including those judged by Ofsted to be inadequate, to become sponsored academies with a high quality sponsor who can turn performance around rapidly. Ofsted has implemented a more rigorous inspection framework, with performance data forming part of information to target inspections on the weakest schools.
	We have issued statutory guidance to local authorities (LAs), which makes very clear our expectations that LAs should take swift and robust action when maintained schools are not good enough. This includes our expectation that poorly performing schools should be matched with a strong sponsor. Local authorities should consider imposing interim executive boards to replace failing governing bodies and issuing warning notices to set out the action required to improve standards. The guidance can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00192418/scc

Schools: Swimming

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on promoting safe swimming in schools in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what his policy is on schools providing pupils with information about swimming safely.

Edward Timpson: Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.
	The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.
	There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

Schools: Transport

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to provide free travel for students up to the end of their school careers.

David Laws: For children of compulsory school age (five to 16), local authorities are under a duty to make suitable travel arrangements where they consider it necessary to secure a child's attendance at school.
	They must provide free transport in prescribed circumstances, including for children who are unable to walk to school because of issues related to their special educational needs or disability. Local authorities also have discretion to provide transport beyond the statutory requirements for which a charge can be made.
	For post-16 children, local authorities are under a duty to publish a post-16 transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access further education in schools, colleges or other establishments. The level of support provided is for local authorities to decide and the arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised travel—but local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on the resources available and the needs of their community.
	In addition to local authority support, young people can often receive discounts from bus operators; these are determined by the operators themselves. Some schools and colleges also provide direct support through school college buses, and financially disadvantaged students can also apply for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund via their school or college.
	Local authorities are encouraged to work together with providers to ensure the bursary fund is used to effectively support post-16 students' transport costs.

Sixth Form Colleges

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to ensure that students in sixth form colleges receive the same benefits and entitlements as students pursuing A level courses in FE colleges and 11 to 18 schools.

David Laws: The only entitlement that is currently different between different types of 16 to 19 institutions is the entitlement to a free meal for disadvantaged students in schools and academies, which does not at present extend to disadvantaged students in other 16 to 19 institutions.
	The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 18 September that disadvantaged students at sixth form colleges and further education colleges will also be eligible for free school meals from September 2014. We will announce more details about the implementation of this commitment after the autumn statement.
	The White Paper “The Importance of Teaching”, published on 24 November 2010, set out the Government's commitment to end the disparity in funding for 16 to 18-year-olds so that from the. academic year 2015/16, schools and colleges will be funded at the same level as one another for like-for-like provision. We moved schools on to the same national funding rate as colleges in the academic year 2011/12 and put in place transitional protection for four years, to give schools time to adapt to the new funding regime. The transitional protection will cease at the end of 2014/15 and funding for institutions offering similar provision to similar students will then be the same.

Standards and Testing Agency

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 699W, on Standards and Testing Agency, on how many occasions he has met officials of the Standards and Testing Agency; and what the date of the most recent meeting was.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has met officials from the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) on many different occasions. The last officially recorded meeting in his office took place on 14 May 2013. However, officials from the Standards and Testing Agency are often present at other meetings held by the Secretary of State,

Teachers: Training

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the number of hours of annual safeguarding training received each year on average by (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) post-16 teaching staff in England.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not hold this information.
	The Government has issued statutory guidance to help schools and further education colleges understand their responsibilities, including the appropriate training of staff. The current guidance is being revised and updated and will be published shortly.

TREASURY

Aggregates Levy

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what annual total tonnage of aggregates exempt from the aggregates levy was registered or claimed in each year from 2002 to 2012.

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes a tax bulletin for the aggregates levy on a quarterly basis. These can be found at the following link:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDuty Bulletins.aspx
	The figures provided show tonnages declared by those companies registered for the aggregates levy. Companies which do not commercially exploit any material on which the levy is due are not obliged to complete aggregates levy returns. As such, the figures provided only reflect the annual tonnage of exempted material commercially exploited by those companies registered for the aggregates levy.

Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual total tonnage of aggregates on which the aggregates levy was paid was in Northern Ireland in each year from 2002 to 2012.

Nicky Morgan: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not record the amount of aggregates levy paid by quarries in different areas of the UK. Quarries operating in Northern Ireland could form part of a larger company which pays tax elsewhere in the UK. It is therefore not possible to ascertain the exact tonnage of aggregates on which the aggregates levy was paid in Northern Ireland.

Air Passenger Duty

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written answer of 29 August 2013, Official Report, column 988W, on Air Passenger Duty, if he will introduce an official definition of aviation hub.

Nicky Morgan: The Government has set up the independent Airports Commission to examine the question of how best to maintain the UK's international hub
	connectivity. The Commission's fourth discussion paper examines airport operational models, including that of a hub.
	The discussion paper and stakeholder responses are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications? departments%5B%5D=airports-commission

Child Trust Fund

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has developed plans that will allow the transfer or conversion of funds in child trust funds into junior ISAs;
	(2)  when he will publish the results of the consultation on transferring child trust fund accounts into junior ISAs.

Nicky Morgan: A summary of responses document will be published shortly which will outline how the Government intends to proceed in response to the consultation.

Companies: Ownership

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered extending the public register for company owners to the British Overseas Territories.

David Gauke: UK legislation is generally not extended to the Overseas Territories without the consent of their governments. The Overseas Territories are separate jurisdictions with their own Constitutions under which most are responsible for fiscal matters. They have already developed policies in respect of beneficial ownership and anti-money laundering. Each of the Overseas Territories with a financial services industry has published action plans to set out the steps they will take to deliver much greater clarity about who really owns, controls, and benefits from companies, and to ensure that this information is available to tax authorities and law enforcement authorities.
	The UK has published a consultation on corporate transparency following the publication of its action plan on beneficial ownership; the Overseas Territories will also be consulting on their plans. We will continue to work with them on the implementation of their commitments.

Conditions of Employment

Andy Sawford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) median and (b) inter-quartile range of hourly pay for employees on zero-hours contracts is.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Director, Head of Operations
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the a) median and b) inter-quartile range of hourly pay for employees on zero-hours contracts is. 169906
	The requested information is not available. Estimates of people in employment on zero hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey but the sample size prevents the provision of the additional detail requested.

Cooperative Bank

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will assess the potential effects of the Co-operative Bank's capital action plan on 13 per cent perpetual subordinated bondholders;
	(2)  if he will assess the effects of decisions taken by the Prudential Regulation Authority on the value of the Co-operative Bank's 13 per cent perpetual subordinated bondholders.

Sajid Javid: The Co-op Bank has made clear that the 13% subordinated bonds are included in its liability management exercise (LME). Co-op has not yet published the detail of its offer to these investors. Some information is available from the Co-op website at:
	www.co-operative.coop/corporate/Press/Press-releases/Headline-news/Update-on-capital-position
	The value of bonds held by investors in financial institutions is liable to change, and can do so for a variety of reasons. The PRA is independent of Government, and it acts in accordance with its statutory objectives. This question has therefore been passed to PRA, who will reply to the hon. Lady directly by letter. A copy of the letter will be laid in the Library of the House.

Currencies

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to lay before Parliament an amendment to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, as amended, to regulate the use and issuance of virtual currencies, where monetary value is represented other than as a claim on an issuer.

Sajid Javid: The Government has no plans to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 to regulate the use and issuance of virtual currencies.

Debts Written Off: Developing Countries

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions the Government attaches to countries receiving debt relief.

Sajid Javid: Under the primary debt relief mechanism for low income countries, the Heavily indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, countries must meet the following conditions in order to qualify for debt relief:
	be identified as low income, based on eligibility to borrow from the World Bank's International Development Agency and from the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust;
	face an unsustainable debt burden that requires a HIPC debt treatment;
	have established a track record of reform and sound policies through IMF and World Bank supported programmes; and
	agree and implement a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
	Multilateral discussions on debt relief take place at the Paris Club. For non- HIPCs there are no set conditions for countries to receive debt relief, but Paris Club agreements typically require evidence of sound economic and, where appropriate, poverty reduction policies.

Debts Written Off: Developing Countries

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what countries are currently receiving debt-relief from the UK as part of the (a) Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and (b) Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative.

Sajid Javid: Information on the countries that have received debt relief from the UK and other creditors under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative is available on the IMF website at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/hipc.htm
	The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) covers debts owed to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and African Development Bank rather than bilateral debts owed to individual countries like the UK. Information on the countries that have benefited from MDRI is also available on the IMF website at:
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/mdri.htm

Financial Services

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that when individuals working in the financial sector are found guilty of malpractice, they are personally liable for any fine levied.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 already provides that any individual on whom a financial penalty is imposed by a regulator under that Act is personally liable for the amount of the penalty.

Financial Services: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether consideration has been given to introducing a protected minimum balance in the use of continuous payment authorities as is in force for bank arrestments in Scotland under the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007.

Sajid Javid: Whether to introduce a protected minimum balance in the use of continuous payment authorities (CPAs) is a decision for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to take. The FCA will have the power to introduce such a rule from 1 April 2014 when responsibility for consumer credit regulation will transfer from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the FCA.
	Following the transfer of consumer credit regulation to the FCA, existing OFT guidance which prevents lenders using a CPA where it would leave the customer without a subsistence balance (i.e. sufficient funds to meet priority debts and essential living expenses) will be turned into a binding FCA rule which is particularly important given the introduction of universal credit.
	Alongside this, CPAs will be limited to two attempts on any loan (which includes where a firm refinances a loan); no further CPA attempts will be permitted on subsequent days; and CPA part payment will be banned, i.e. a lender can only take payment if the whole owed sum is in the account.

Fracking

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses to his Department's consultation on harnessing the potential of the UK's natural resources: a fiscal regime of shale gas, were submitted by the closing date of 13 September 2013.

Nicky Morgan: HM Treasury published a consultation document with proposals for a fiscal regime for shale gas on 19 July. The consultation closed on 13 September. The Government received a range of responses which are now being reviewed. The final policy announcement will be made in the autumn and any necessary legislation will be introduced through Finance Bill 2014.

Gift Aid: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Gift Aid system will be affected by the introduction of a variable rate of income tax in Scotland as mandated in the Scotland Act 2012.

David Gauke: Following discussions with charities' representatives, the Government has decided that once the Scottish rate of income tax is introduced, the Government will continue to repay tax to charities at the UK basic rate of income tax under the Gift Aid scheme. This will apply to donations from all UK taxpayers (including Scottish taxpayers). More details can be found in the HMRC Technical Note entitled ‘Clarifying the Scope of the Scottish Rate of Income Tax’ published in May 2012.

Import Duties

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue has accrued to the Exchequer from import taxes levied on goods imported into the UK from (a) Sudan, (b) Bangladesh, (c) Nigeria, (d) Pakistan, (e) India, (f) Afghanistan, (g) Tanzania and (h) Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last three years.

Nicky Morgan: The following table contains details of the total revenue accrued to the Exchequer from duties collected on goods imported to the UK from the Sudan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2010.
	
		
			 Country Year Total revenue to the Exchequer (£) 
			 Afghanistan 2010 66,894 
			  2011 96,404 
			  2012 171,161 
			    
			 Bangladesh 2010 160,902,631 
			  2011 220,572,297 
			  2012 257,353,139 
			    
			 Congo Democratic Republic 2010 2,125,811 
			  2011 2,406,217 
			  2012 2,592,128 
			    
			 India 2010 766,064,413 
			  2011 976,584,381 
			  2012 957,451,479 
			    
			 Nigeria 2010 16,078,932 
			  2011 8,934,355 
			  2012 5,058,832 
			    
			 Pakistan 2010 130,152,066 
			  2011 165,714,645 
			  2012 168,744,754 
			    
			 Sudan (North Sudan) 2010 816,199 
		
	
	
		
			  2011 918,516 
			  2012 886,970 
			    
			 Tanzania 2010 1,775,355 
			  2011 2,315,912 
			  2012 2,711,157

Income Tax

Dominic Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were taken out of the tax income system in each year between 2010-11 and 2013-14 as a result of the cumulative effect of the Government's increases in the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years; and if he will estimate what revenue was foregone by the Treasury as a result of these increases each year between 2010-11 and 2013-14.

David Gauke: The Government increased the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years between 2010-11 and 2013-14, as shown in table 1:
	
		
			 Table 1: Personal allowance (coalition Government formed in May 2010) 
			  £ 
			 2010-11 6,475 
			 2011-12 7,475 
			 2012-13 8,105 
			 2013-14 9,440 
		
	
	By April 2013, the cumulative effect of the Government's increases in the personal allowance for those aged under 65 years (born after 5 April 1948 since 2013-14 tax year) since 2010-11 had taken 2.4 million people out of the income tax system.
	42% were removed by the 2011-12 increase, 10% by the 2012-13 increase and 47% from the 2013-14 increase.
	The estimated cost of these measures published at Budget is available in table 2.2 of the Budgets 2013, 2011 and 2012.

Lloyds Banking Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fees were paid to banks advising on the sale of Government shares in Lloyds Banking Group.

Sajid Javid: UK Financial Investments Limited (UKFI) is responsible for managing the Government's shareholding in Lloyds Banking Group. Consistent with its mandate, UKFI was responsible for devising and executing the recent share sale. The Chancellor took the final decision to proceed with the sale.
	UKFI appointed a number of banks to assist in selling the shares. These included three “Bookrunners”, who were responsible for placing shares with investors; a privatisation strategy adviser whose role was to complement UKFl's expertise in devising strategies for realising value for the Government's shareholdings in the banks; and an independent capital markets adviser.
	Banking fees on transactions like this, including those executed by other Governments, are typically a percentage of the total size of the transaction, which in this instance could have amounted to several million pounds in fees being paid. However, for this sale the total fees paid to these institutions amounted to only £5, which is £1 each for the Bookrunners, the privatisation strategy adviser and the independent capital markets adviser, so was a very good deal for the taxpayer.
	In addition, as part of the legal contracts with the Bookrunners, UKFI negotiated a sharing arrangement whereby HM Treasury received over £1.1 million from the commissions that the Bookrunners earned from buyers of the shares.

Minimum Wage

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the minimum wage by £1,000 each year on (a) pay as you earn contributions, (b) employer's National Insurance contributions, (c) employee's National Insurance contributions and (d) tax credits.

David Gauke: The Treasury has made no such assessment.
	The national minimum wage is specifically set at the highest possible rate that will not damage employment prospects. If it is set too high then fewer people will be in work, and these effects would most likely be hardest felt by the young and those who are further from the labour market.
	The Low Pay Commission reviews the national minimum wage rates and recommends rate uplifts to Government on the basis of independent judgment and advice.
	In addition to the minimum wage, the Government is helping all working people on low pay by maximising their take-home pay. That is why the Government is cutting income tax and will have taken 2.7 million people out of income tax altogether by 2014-15.

Mortgages: First Time Buyers

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new mortgages for first-time buyers were issued in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months.

Sajid Javid: The Government does not collect or publish data on mortgage lending to first-time buyers. A number of organisations including the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Council of Mortgage Lenders collect data on mortgages, which they make available publicly.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure equal regional allocations of funds available through the Help to Buy Scheme.

Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government wants current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way their parents were able to.
	Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are, trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.
	Budget 2013 announced the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households.
	The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee is available on mortgages on homes across the UK. The Government has made £12 billion of guarantees available, which is sufficient to support £130 billion of high loan-to-value mortgages.
	Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including the regions lenders offer mortgages to, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to limit the number of Help to Buy guarantees which are used to purchase property mortgages between £500,000 and £600,000 in value.

Sajid Javid: On 8 October 2013, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister announced that borrowers can start benefitting from the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme and published the final scheme rules.
	The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government wants current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way their parents were able to. Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.
	The scheme rules set out that for a mortgage to be considered eligible it must, among other criteria, be on a property in the UK with purchase value of £600,000 or less.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Help to Buy scheme will be available for mortgages on empty or boarded up properties.

Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. The Government wants current and future generations to experience the benefits of owning their own home, in the same way their parents were able to. Since the financial crisis, larger deposit requirements and falling equity values mean many credit-worthy households cannot get a mortgage, or are trapped in their existing homes unable to take the next step.
	Budget 2013 announced the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households.
	The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme rules do not prevent lenders from using the guarantee to support mortgages on empty or boarded up properties, provided these meet the scheme's eligibility criteria.
	Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including the types of properties lenders offer mortgages against, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to ring-fence mortgage guarantee scheme money for properties with local occupancy restrictions.

Sajid Javid: The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee is available on mortgages on homes across the UK. The Government has made £12 billion of guarantees available, which is sufficient to support £130 billion of high loan-to-value mortgages.
	Decisions concerning the availability of mortgages, including for properties with local occupancy restrictions, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders participating in the scheme.

National Insurance Contributions

Andy Sawford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the likely level of revenue not accrued from National Insurance contributions from (a) employers and (b) employees from employers restricting workers to hours below a full working week.

David Gauke: I am unable to give such an estimate, since this could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Oil: Exploration

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of royalty income from petroleum exploration and development licences in the UK in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Nicky Morgan: Royalty on oil and gas production was abolished from 31 December 2002. The Exchequer did not collect any royalty income on this production in 2012-13 and will not receive any in 2013-14.

PAYE

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current total amount of tax taken through PAYE is on salaries up to (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000 and (c) £20,000 respectively.

David Gauke: Returns from employers indicate that total PAYE income tax liabilities in respect of the 2011-12 tax year were:
	(a) £2.3 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £10,000
	(b) £7.1 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £15,000
	(c) £15.5 billion for individuals with total PAYE salaries of up to £20,000.
	These amounts exclude the employee-and employer Class 1 national insurance contributions that are also collected through PAYE.

Personal Savings: Competition

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of competitiveness of savings products.

David Gauke: The FCA is responsible for keeping competition in the markets it regulates under review. It has announced that it will be conducting a market study of competition in the savings market looking into a range of issues including the effects of 'teaser rates' and inertia in the market.
	The study was announced in September this year. More details can be found in their press release:
	http://www.fca.org.uk/news/fca-to-carry-out-market-study-into-cash-savings

Productivity

Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made, aside from labour productivity, of the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity;
	(2)  what metrics, aside from labour productivity, are currently used by his Department to assess the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity;
	(3)  whether his Department compares, aside from labour productivity, the UK's (a) profitability and (b) productivity with other countries in the (i) G8, (ii) G20 and (iii) EU.

Nicky Morgan: The Treasury uses a range of metrics to assess productivity and profitability in the UK economy.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes estimates of profitability on a quarterly basis. Their most recent publication shows the profitability of UK firms rising from their post-crisis lows. The latest release is available here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pnfc2/profitability-of-uk-companies/q2-2013/stb-profitability-of-uk-companies-q2-2013.html
	The ONS also has an extensive programme of work on productivity. Besides labour productivity, the ONS produce estimates of “multi-factor productivity” (also known as total factor productivity). The latest estimates relate to 2010 and show multi-factor productivity recovering, following falls during the recession. The latest release is available here:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/multi-factor-productivity--experimental-/indicative-estimates-to-2010/art-indicative-estimates-to-2010.html
	A range of sources can be drawn on to make international comparisons of productivity, including datasets produced by the OECD, Eurostat and the Conference Board.

Redundancy

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff were made redundant from non-departmental public bodies accountable to his Department in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many redundancy payments were made in lieu of notice;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department were made redundant in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how many such staff received payments in lieu of notice.

Nicky Morgan: Details of HM Treasury redundancies for 2010-11 were published in its Annual Report and Accounts (HC 984), page 88. No figures were available for non-departmental staff in this year.
	There were no payments in lieu of notice paid in that year.
	No departmental or non-departmental staff have been made compulsorily redundant in the last two years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Revenue and Customs: Livingston

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timescale for the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office at Pentland House in Livingston and the consequent redeployment of staff is.

David Gauke: The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Pentland House in Livingston will close by the end of March 2014. HMRC staff located there have been advised that their moves to other HMRC offices in Livingston, Bathgate and Edinburgh are likely to commence in January 2014.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will consider reducing the level of stamp duty land tax;
	(2)  if he will consider increasing the threshold property value for applying stamp duty land tax.

David Gauke: The Chancellor keeps all taxes, including stamp duty land tax, under review as part of the Budget process.

Sustainable Development

Laura Sandys: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the Eurostat resource productivity scale.

Nicky Morgan: The Government believes that for economic growth to be sustainable, our use of the natural environment must be managed. These natural resources are a vital “capital”, providing raw materials and ecosystems services, that must be valued and protected in order to maintain them. Expanding the low-carbon and environmental goods and services sector will help to decouple economic growth from resource use and is a lucrative opportunity for UK businesses.
	The Government has established the Natural Capital Committee, which has been tasked with helping the Government better understand how the state of the natural environment affects the performance of the economy and on how to ensure England's ‘natural wealth’ is managed efficiently and sustainably. It is also supporting the Office of National Statistics work on including natural capital in national accounts.
	Eurostat produce a resource productivity indicator. This measures the amount of output (GDP) per unit of material input; the higher the number, the more efficiently resource inputs are used. The UK performs well on this measure, considerably outperforming the EU average. The UK's performance has improved over time, with Euros per kg almost 50% higher in 2011 than in 2000.

Tax Avoidance

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Revenue and Customs made of its chances of success in litigation under the law as it stood prior to bringing forward the legislative proposals announced in Budget Note 66 on 12 March 2008.

David Gauke: Due to ongoing litigation between HM Revenue and Customs and users of the wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme that led to Budget Note 66 it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter.

Tax Avoidance: British Overseas Territories

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to tackle tax avoidance in British Overseas Territories.

David Gauke: The Government is fully committed to tackling tax avoidance and continues to take swift and robust action when new avoidance risks are identified. The Overseas Territories themselves are fully committed to ensuring tax compliance. They have also all published action plans setting out the steps they will take to deliver much greater clarity about who really owns, controls, and benefits from companies, and to ensure that this information is available to tax authorities.
	The commitments they have made on tax evasion over recent months as part of the UK's G8 presidency represent the biggest ever step forward in the tax transparency of the Overseas Territories. They have all agreed to automatically exchange tax information with the UK and others to tackle those who hide their assets offshore.

Taxation: Charitable Donations

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in an anonymised table the range of charitable gifts donated by the top 1,000 donors and subsequently claimed against tax.

Nicky Morgan: There are no plans to publish the information requested. HM Revenue and Customs holds information on the total amounts donated by individual donors on which income tax relief is claimed each year but not on the full range of charitable gifts they make.
	There would be a risk of disclosing taxpayer confidential information from publishing the amounts of the donations on which the top 1,000 donors claim tax relief, even if taxpayer details were anonymised.

Taxation: Switzerland

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the expected overall yield from the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement.

David Gauke: It is still too early to be certain how much the UK-Swiss tax Agreement will yield; but it is important to note this is money that without this groundbreaking agreement would largely remain untaxed.

Taxation: Switzerland

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement, how many UK citizens have been identified as moving funds outside that Agreement's jurisdiction prior to it coming into effect on 1 January 2013; whether that number is in line with HM Treasury's previous forecasts; and to which locations such funds have been moved.

David Gauke: The Government has made significant progress on tackling offshore tax evasion, putting tax and transparency at the heart of the agenda for the UK's presidency of the G8, leading on the development of a new global standard in the automatic exchange of information, and reaching groundbreaking deals with a number of jurisdictions to tackle offshore tax evasion, including by establishing disclosure facilities with the Crown Dependencies.
	The UK-Swiss Agreement requires the Swiss Government to provide the UK with details of the top 10 most popular destinations for funds moved out of Switzerland before the agreement came into force, and the numbers of UK residents who moved assets to those destinations. This must be supplied by the end of May 2014.

Taxation: Switzerland

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many UK citizens have been exempted from the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement owing to their non-domiciled status.

David Gauke: The Government has made significant progress on tackling offshore tax evasion, putting tax and transparency at the heart of the agenda for the UK's presidency of the G8, leading on the development of a new global standard in the automatic exchange of information, and reaching groundbreaking deals with a number of jurisdictions to tackle offshore tax evasion, including by establishing disclosure facilities with the Crown Dependencies.
	No one is exempted from the UK-Swiss Agreement because of their domicile status. Individuals who can demonstrate, through an independent certification process, that they have claimed the remittance basis of taxation are entitled to opt out of the one-off charge for the past if they believe they have no outstanding tax liability.
	HMRC has put in place plans to ensure that those who have claimed such treatment under the Agreement have done so legitimately. Any person found to have turned down the opportunity to settle past tax liabilities will be the subject of penalties and possible criminal investigation.

Taxation: Switzerland

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement, how many UK citizens have elected to make voluntary disclosures to HM Revenue and Customs to date;
	(2)  how many UK citizens have been identified as the beneficial owners of (a) domiciliary companies or assets and (b) other similar complex structures following the introduction of the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement.

David Gauke: The Government has made significant progress on tackling offshore tax evasion, putting tax and transparency at the heart of the agenda for the UK's presidency of the G8, leading on the development of a new global standard in the automatic exchange of information, and reaching groundbreaking deals with a number of jurisdictions to. tackle offshore tax evasion, including by establishing disclosure facilities with the Crown Dependencies.
	To date HMRC has received details of 18,000 accounts under the UK-Swiss Agreement, which it is matching to UK individuals. HMRC will make contact with each and every individual who opted for disclosure and has already written to over 9,000. Switzerland has until the end of December to provide details in respect of those who wish their account details to be disclosed to HMRC.
	Under the terms of the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement UK taxpayers who elect to pay the withholding tax retain their anonymity in respect of their Swiss accounts and HMRC will not be provided with this information. More will be known about those who opted to disclose as a result of HMRC's contact with the individuals.

Taxation: Switzerland

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement, how many requests the Government has made since 1 January 2013 pertaining to individual accounts; and whether he expects the UK to reach its agreed limit of 500 such requests before the end of the year.

David Gauke: The Government has made significant progress in tackling offshore tax evasion, putting tax and transparency at the heart of the agenda for the UK's presidency of the G8, leading on the development of a new global standard in the automatic exchange of information, and reaching groundbreaking deals with a number of jurisdictions to tackle offshore tax evasion, including by establishing disclosure facilities with the Crown Dependencies.
	HMRC is working to identify suitable requests for exchange of information under the UK-Swiss Agreement based on its risk assessment processes. The UK expects to take advantage of the maximum number of requests permitted by the Agreement.

VAT

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT was collected by HM Revenue and Customs (a) in total, (b) from the retail sector and (c) from the industrial sector in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: Information of total VAT cash receipts is published monthly in the Value Added Tax Bulletin on the UK Trade Statistics website.
	The latest information that is available is given in the following table:
	
		
			  2012-13 (£ million) 
			 Total VAT collected 100,572 
		
	
	However, VAT cash receipts cannot be broken down by sector.
	Information on the amount of VAT declared on traders' returns can be broken down by sector and this is published in the VAT Statistical Factsheet on the UK Trade Statistics Website:
	https://uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx

Welfare Tax Credits

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of tax credits is on salaries up to (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000, (c) £20,000 and (d) above £20,000, respectively.

Nicky Morgan: There are a variety of factors that influence the amount of tax credits a claimant is eligible to receive, of which income is one. Depending on their circumstances, (e.g. number of children, disabilities etc) claimants on the same income might be entitled to different levels of tax credit payments.
	The latest tax credits statistics are available in the HMRC publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised Awards’. They can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-main-stats/cwtc-awards.pdf
	The Government is taking steps to ensure that spending on welfare is sustainable by making sure that work pays, while also supporting those most in need. It is rewarding work by:
	raising the personal allowance to £9,440 and announcing a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The combined effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7m low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014;
	developing a new Tax-Free Childcare Scheme to expand support for child care to up to 2.5 million working families; and
	introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.

Working Hours

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the expected increase in hours of employment resulting from its decision to lift the eligibility bar from 16 to 24 hours.

Nicky Morgan: No such estimate has been made.
	The eligibility rule that couples with children must work 24 hours a week between them, with one partner working at least 16 hours a week in order to qualify for the working tax credit, does not apply if:
	one of the couple is aged 60 or over and working at least 16 hours a week;
	one of the couple is disabled and working at least 16 hours a week;
	one of the couple works at least 16 hours a week, and the other is entitled to carer's allowance—even if they don't get any payments because they receive other benefits instead;
	one of the couple works at least 16 hours a week, and the other is “incapacitated”, an in-patient in hospital, or in prison (serving a custodial sentence, or remanded in custody awaiting trial or sentence).
	A single parent needs to do paid work of at least 16 hours a week to qualify for working tax credit.
	For more information on qualifying for working tax credit, please refer to:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/workingtaxcredit/work.htm#1
	The Government is making sure that work pays, while also supporting those most in need. It is rewarding work by:
	raising the personal allowance to £9,440 and announcing a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The combined effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7 million low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014;
	developing a new tax-free child care scheme to expand support for child care to up to 2.5 million working families; and
	introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.